Linekin Bay Resort

A family-owned sailing resort on Linekin Bay near Boothbay Harbor — thirty-three rooms across cabin clusters, a few main-lodge rooms, and a working sailing program with Sonars and Beetle Cats included for guest use. Linekin Bay is the unusual Maine resort that's still a sailing camp at heart: rates include unlimited sailing instruction, the boats sit at the property's dock, and the operating model has been the same for decades.

The pitch is the boats. Most coastal Maine resorts have a few kayaks and call it a water program. Linekin Bay has a working fleet of one-design sailboats, certified instructors, and the kind of multi-decade family ownership that's gone from most New England lodging.

The setting

Linekin Bay is the protected saltwater bay east of Boothbay Harbor — sheltered enough for daily sailing, deep enough for cruising boats. The resort sits on a peninsula on the bay's western shore, ten minutes' drive from Boothbay Harbor village.

Boothbay Harbor village is ten minutes west by car for restaurants, shops, and the harbor walk. The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens are fifteen minutes west. The Maine State Aquarium is in West Boothbay Harbor. The Wiscasset bridge (with Red's Eats, the famous lobster roll line) is twenty-five minutes west on the way to Camden.

The building

A small main lodge plus a cluster of detached and semi-detached cabins along the bay-front shore. Materials are clapboard and porch ceilings, painted in classic New England coastal palette. The architecture is refined-Americana with country-estate undertones.

Public spaces include the lodge dining room, the dock, the lawn, and the heated pool deck.

The rooms

Thirty-three rooms across the lodge and cabins. Cabin units (the desirable ones) are detached or semi-detached, with bay views and direct access to the dock and the lawn. Lodge rooms are smaller and inside the main building. Bathrooms have been kept up. Beds are good.

Rates from $285 in shoulder; many rate plans include sailing instruction, breakfast, and dinner — the all-inclusive sailing-camp model — which makes the price-comparison tricky against pure room-only properties.

Food & drink

The dining room serves breakfast and dinner — included on most rate plans. Coastal-Maine cooking, family-style on some nights, plated on others. The bar serves drinks through the evening.

On the property

The sailing fleet is the program. Sonars, Beetle Cats, and a few other one-design boats are available for guest use, with daily instruction sessions for beginners and free sail time for the experienced. There's a heated pool, paddleboards and kayaks, lawn games, and a dock where the working sailboats live. No spa.

• Sailing fleet with included instruction
• Heated outdoor pool
• Paddleboards and kayaks
• Most rates include breakfast and dinner
• Open seasonally — typically June through October

Who it's for

• Sailors and sailors-curious — Linekin Bay's program is unusually serious
• Families on a Maine summer week
• Multi-generational travelers who all want different things from a resort
• Travelers who want an all-inclusive coastal-Maine model

Who it's not for

• Travelers wanting a small intimate inn or contemporary boutique
• Anyone uninterested in sailing or water activities — much of the value is in the boats
• Winter travelers — the resort closes seasonally

Nearby

Boothbay Harbor village is ten minutes west for restaurants, shops, and the harbor's whale-watching boats. The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens are fifteen minutes west. The Maine State Aquarium is fifteen minutes west. Pemaquid Point Lighthouse is forty-five minutes east for the iconic Maine-coast view. Camden is an hour northeast for the wider Mid-Coast.