Timberwind, Historic schooner in Portland, US

Timberwind is a two-masted wooden schooner 70 feet (21 m) long, 14 feet (4.3 m) in beam and drawing 10 feet (3.0 m). Her oak frame is sheathed in yellow pine below the waterline and oak above, with yellow pine deck planking and two engines amidships. A bowsprit was added when she was converted to tourist service.

Built in 1931 for the Portland Pilot's Association, the vessel entered service that December as the pilot boat Portland Pilot, guiding large ships into Portland Harbor. Commanded by the U.S. Coast Guard for patrol duty during World War II, it remained a pilot boat until 1969. Converted in Camden between 1969 and 1971 for tourist use, it joined the Maine windjammer fleet and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 26, 1992.

The name Timberwind dates from her tourist conversion, replacing Portland Pilot, the name she carried while guiding ships into Portland Harbor. From May through October she sails from Portland as part of the Maine windjammer fleet, carrying passengers on day sails and private charters. Her bowsprit was added for that tourist rig, not part of the pilot-boat design.

The schooner operates seasonal sailing trips that work for different experience levels and comfort needs. Visitors should prepare for open water conditions and wear layered clothing plus sturdy shoes for moving around the deck.

Timberwind was built in 1931 as the second pilot boat of the Portland Pilot's Association, following the Director of 1906, and her design is said to draw on the Director and a local fishing schooner. During World War II the Coast Guard commandeered her for patrol duty in the outer reaches of Portland Harbor.