Frequently Asked Questions about Moontide and the Schooner Louisa Lee

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Is there really a schooner called Louisa Lee?: No. Louisa is entirely the author's creation. She's roughly the size and shape of Stephen Taber, with a taffrail and clipper bow like Taber and Isaac H. Evans; her masts are raked, though not as steeply as those of Harvey Gamage; she has the sail area of Timberwind, the rigging of American Eagle . . . but she's a Frankenstein ship, made of the salvaged parts of drowned ships that are themselves figments of the author's imagination.
Is there a model of the Louisa Lee?: Not until someone makes one! It would be a fun project. Check out The Nautical Research Guild for modeling tips.
Where can I go on a schooner like the one in the book?: Start with the Web page of the Maine Windjammer Association. It has links to pages for most of the Down East schooners, where you can find out about schedules and itineraries.

Where did you get the idea for a haunted Maine schooner?: The author replies, "It just came to me while I was enjoying a cruise on a very un-haunted Maine schooner. I love ghost stories, and something just clicked in my head while I was watching the gorgeous scenery pass by--a haunted ship! I couldn't write any of it on the boat, though. It's much too serene and peaceful on shipboard at night, and too cheerful and fun during the day. I started making it all up when I got home."
How long did it take to write your book?: The author replies, "About a year. A lot of that was research time. There was an incredible amount of research to do for this book. Not just hands-on stuff on a schooner, which included lots of help from wonderful deckhands and a lot of recording with camera and videotape, but also book research--about Maine, about tall ships, about nautical literature. I learned so much! It was a wonderful experience."
Are any of the characters based on real people?: The author replies, "Nope. Some of the names are cobbled together from different people I know, but the characters themselves are made up from whole cloth. By the end of writing the book, though, they were very real people to me. I hope they are to you too."
Is there going to be a sequel to Moontide?: The author replies, "I'm researching a second book, called Bloodtide, so I sure hope there will be."

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