FAQ

1. How many people does the boat hold? The Lannon holds 49 passengers, plus crew.

2. What should I bring? Sweatshirt or windbreaker. It’s always cooler on the water. Camera. Binoculars if you have them. Sneakers or other comfortable shoes. No high heels, please. Sunglasses and sunscreen. Please do not bring alcoholic beverages onboard with you. Coolers are not allowed for space reasons. (See below). Umbrellas are not allowed, because of the inversion danger. We sell plastic rain ponchos at very reasonable prices.

3. What about food and drinks? On most trips, we serve a fine selection of salty junk food, such as chips, Fritos, Doritos, etc. We also have beer, ale, champagne, wine, rum punch made with locally distilled Folly Cove Rum, soft drinks, and spring water for sale at reasonable prices. Because of our liquor license, you are not allowed to carry on your own alcoholic beverages. We appreciate your cooperation. Please note that we cannot process credit card sales onboard. There are several ATMs available nearby.

4. Is there a restroom onboard? There is a restroom (marine head) onboard. It is located below deck and the access is down a steep set of stairs. There are public restrooms located in the Seven Seas Cafe, on the water end of the Gloucester House Restaurant, which you are welcome to use before you sail.

5. What about the Weather? Meteorology is not a perfect science. For this reason, we do not call off our trips when we first get the five-day forecast that invariably calls for “a chance of thundershowers.” Rather, the captain makes the call regarding whether or not to sail very close to departure time. This link will take you to one of the local radar and satellite forecasts that help us make the determination whether or not to sail. A ‘small craft advisory’ issued is not enough for us to cancel a trip. Just think positive and remember that you will have fun even if it isn’t a beautiful sunny day and that clouds make for the most beautiful sunsets.

6. Will I get seasick? What about getting seasick? We’ve got some great news for you! Most people don’t. Over the past eighteen seasons, with thousands of people coming out for sails, only a handful have been seasick. There are a couple reasons: we shut off the engine (engine vibration and/or the diesel smell send some people over the edge), and the shore is always visible (often without land, people don’t have a reference point.) We sell acupressure wrist bands for those that still feel uneasy. If you are overly prone to seasickness, you might consider taking ginger caplets before your sail. They act as an anti-nausea agent and are a natural alternative to Dramamine, which can make you drowsy. It is true that some people will tell you that they get seasick in a bathtub. But, for most people on most days, seasickness is not an issue.

7. What is your cancellation policy? 

Reservations can be made up to two weeks prior to the sail date, for certain trips earlier than two weeks.  When you make a reservation online, over the phone, or in person we take a credit card to hold your reservation for the total cost of your trip.  Your credit card will be charged in the morning on the day of your trip prior to your arrival.   If you have any discounts, gift certificates, or vouchers you must use them at the time of booking. We cannot apply them to a reservation that has already been completed. If on the day of your trip your credit card returns in an error (declined, insufficient funds,etc.) we will attempt to contact you to get a working credit card number.  If we cannot get in touch with you we will cancel your reservation, so please be sure to give us a phone number we can reach you at on the day of the sail.

We have a 72-hour cancellation policy.  You can cancel up to 72 hours prior to sail time without any penalty.  If you cancel after 72 hours we will charge your card for the full value due on your reservation.

If the Captain cancels, we will issue a full refund to your original form of payment within 24 hours. Depending on your credit card service, it can take 5-10 days for the refund to post.

There are instances where we have a longer than 72-hour cancellation window. If this is the case, it will be stated in the description of the trip and that will take precedence over the 72-hour requirement.

8. Where are you located? Our Schooner Sails shed is located in front and to the right of the Gloucester House Restaurant, on Seven Seas Wharf in downtown Gloucester. This is where you should come to pick up your tickets before getting in line to board the Lannon. We have great directions here or, plug “63 Rogers St.” into your GPS. We begin boarding five minutes before sail time. The Lannon sails on time. Please allow yourself extra time to allow for summer and weekend traffic and to find parking. Come early and enjoy Gloucester.

9. Tips for Parents. We are often asked about our policy on having children aboard. We welcome children of all ages. Every child is included in our head count and there is a charge for every child. If you are trying to decide whether or not to bring your young children, our advice is this: Our trips are generally quiet and relaxing. If your child is at the age where he/she can’t do two hours of quiet and relaxing, you might want to rethink bringing him/her along. Children are not allowed to roam the vessel on their own, so you will be spending quality time velcroed to your child while we sail. Toddlers can be tough. You know your children best. If you think your child won’t be able to handle the length of the trip, you are probably right. Lots of young children have sailed with us and loved it. But, to be honest, some parents who have brought their young children have wished they hadn’t. There is nowhere to go with a screaming, unhappy child. A backpack full of snacks, books, etc. is helpful.

For older children, the issue of wearing life jackets often comes up. We are a Coast Guard inspected vessel. What that means is that the Coast Guard does a safety inspection of the Lannon and all our safety gear once a year. We are required to carry enough life jackets for every passenger, but our passengers (including children) are not required to wear them while onboard. The kind we have onboard are the stiff orange hold-your-head-above-water-in-case-of-emergency type. They are not comfortable for a child to wear for the duration of the sail. If you have comfortable vest-type life jackets that your children wear whenever they go on a boat and you want them to wear a life jacket while onboard the Lannon, then by all means, bring your children’s life jackets with you. If you have other concerns about children onboard, please ask.

10. Is the sail narrated? When we first built the boat, we made the decision not to have someone with a microphone talking for the duration of the sail. Most people enjoy the QUIET of sailing: the sounds of the wind in the sails and the noise that the vessel makes as she glides through the water. So, the short answer is that the sail is not narrated. However, the Captain and crew are very knowledgeable about the boat, the area and landmarks that you will see, so feel free to ask questions as you sail.

11. Groupon FAQs. (Also applies to Lannon Fun Coupon, Lannon Deal Coupons, etc). You smart person. Good on you for buying a Groupon! We’re delighted that you took us up on the Groupon ticket or Lannon Fun Coupon offer and look forward to welcoming you on a two-hour sail on the Schooner Lannon in Gloucester. Here is where we’ll tell you everything you need to know about using your Groupon:

What can I use my Groupon for? Each Groupon is valid for one ticket for a two-hour public sail on the Schooner Lannon in Gloucester. Groupons can be used for adults, seniors or kids. Groupons cannot be combined, or used for any of our Feature sails, such as Music sails or Fireworks sails or WineTasting Sails, etc. You would have to pay full price to join us on one of the Feature sails. Sorry, but no, you cannot pay the difference.

How do I use my Groupon? We take reservations not more than two weeks out. The easiest way to schedule your sail is to look at our online booking section. There you will see our schedule for the next two weeks. You can use your Groupon for any two-hour public sail so long as it isn’t a feature sail. Sorry, you cannot pay the difference and upgrade to a feature sail. When you book your reservation online, just input your barcode number exactly as it appears on your Groupon when you come to the “Promotion code” box. You can also give our office a call. You will need to have your Groupon barcode number(s) available when you call to reserve your space(s).  Weekends are busy, so we strongly suggest that you make advance reservations. Midweek in July and August is not as busy, so you can sometimes get on with short notice.

Do I need to bring my Groupon with me? Yes, you do need to bring a printout of your Groupon with you. Or, you may also use the Groupon iPhone app to display the coupon. Please come to the Schooner Sails Shed to turn your Groupon vouchers into tickets before you get in line to board the Lannon. Even if you book online, you will still need to bring your Groupons with you.

What if I forget my voucher and I don’t have an iPhone? Can you just look me up? Sorry, but, we do need to see your Groupon–either in hard copy or on your iPhone–in order to process the voucher.

Can I use multiple Groupons in one visit? Absolutely. Each Groupon voucher is good for a two-hour sail for one person. So if you purchased four of them, you can bring 3 friends with you. Just be sure to input all the correct barcode numbers when you reserve online. If you are bringing friends who didn’t purchase Groupons, you’ll need a credit card to reserve their spaces.

How do I find the Lannon? We have great directions here. Please note that your GPS will bring you about a half-mile from us, so we strongly encourage you to use our directions. The Gloucester House Restaurant, 63 Rogers St. is the landmark you are looking for. Parking options as well as how to walk to us from the train station are also included there.

What is your cancellation policy? 

You can cancel without penalty up to 72 hours prior to sail time.  If you cancel after 72 hours, but before 24 hours prior to sail time, you will be issued a voucher to sail with us again good through the current calendar year.  If you used a gift certificate or voucher it will be converted to a new voucher that is subject to the 1 year time frame.    If you cancel after 24 hours prior to sail time, there is no refund or voucher given.

If the Captain cancels, we will issue a full refund to your original form of payment within 24 hours.

There are instances where we have a longer than 72 hour cancellation window.  If this is the case, it will be stated in the description of the trip and that will take precedence over the 72 hour requirement.

What do you do if it rains? We are very safety conscious. We don’t sail in thunderstorms, but we do sail in the cloudy. We also don’t cancel our trips when the weatherman says there is a chance of storms, since he/she is usually giving the forecast for a much larger area than Gloucester harbor. The Captain will make the call about whether or not it is safe to sail close to sail time. If the Captain cancels your trip, you will be able to reschedule and use your Groupon another day. If you don’t show up because you are unsure of the weather and haven’t canceled in accordance with our policy, and if the sails goes out as scheduled, your Groupon will be redeemed. Some of our best sails are on overcast days, so don’t waste time worrying about something you cannot control. Just know you’ll have a great time, no matter what. Please feel free to call us before you leave home if you are concerned about the weather on the day of your sail.

What if I miss the boat? Most of our trips, especially on weekends, are sold out. You are reserving your spaces for a specific trip. They are not transferable to another trip if you get lost, get stuck in traffic, come late, or just choose not to come without canceling in accordance with our policy. So, save yourself some anxiety. Come early and enjoy Gloucester. There are over twenty restaurants you can walk to from the Lannon, as well as beautiful beaches, interesting museums and great shops & galleries nearby.

What time do I need to be there? Since you need to turn your Groupon vouchers into tickets before boarding, we ask you to come to our office to check in before you head down the wharf to get in line for the boat. We ask you to check in one-half hour before sail time. That will give you time to check in and to use the public restroom facilities before you board. Boarding is at ten minutes before sail time. We will hold your reservations until boarding time (10 minutes before sail time). The boat leaves on time, so if you arrive after boarding time (10 minutes before sail time), we cannot guarantee your spaces. If you are in traffic and are close by, call us and give us that information, so we can determine whether you will make it or not.

When does your season end?  Opening Day will hopefully be during Mothers’ Day Weekend. Normally we sail through Columbus Day weekend in October. Just remember that in the quieter parts of our season, that is, before late June and again after Labor Day, we will be offering public sails on weekends only.

What can I use an expired Groupon for? If you purchased a Groupon in and didn’t get to use it by the expiration date printed on it (Columbus Day, the last day of our sailing season), all is not lost. For seven years, in accordance with Massachusetts law, your Groupon is worth what you paid for it. So, even though you have missed “the deal” of a two-hour sail, you can still put your Groupon toward the purchase of a two-hour sail. Yes, you will have to pay additional money to come on one of our two-hour public sails. And no, you cannot combine your Groupons or use them for any of our Feature sails. Each one can still only be used toward one two-hour public sail.

What is your phone number? Okay, you’ve read through all of the above steps. Now it’s time to check our schedule and book a trip. You can book online (see hints above) or call us to make your reservations. Make sure that you have your Groupon barcode number(s) available when you call. You can call us at: (978) 281-6634.

 Our schedule sometimes changes, so we strongly suggest that you call ahead for reservations or book online with us.
To view photos of our sails, please see Our Gallery Page