BATH -Summer officially begins on June 21, but summer activities are already starting at Maine Maritime Museum. Percy and Small Shipyard tours are free with museum admission and are offered daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The shipyard exhibits have enhanced signage for tours and self-guided visits.

The newest exhibit in the Maritime History Building, “The Portland Gale: Storm of Infamy,” brings to light the memory of the steamer Portland and the aftermath of the tragedy that engulfed New England. The exhibit includes a full model of the steamer, her original half-hull model, paintings and artifacts that swept ashore during the massive storm.

For those interested in taking tours, every weekday at noon special themed tours are offered: Mondays, “Maritime Art”; Tuesdays, “How to Build a Wooden Schooner”; Wednesdays, “Steamboating in Mid-Coast Maine”; Thursdays, “Steel on the Kennebec: The BIW Story”; and Fridays, to be announced. The tours will continue until Columbus Day.

More than 140 cruises along the Kennebec River are scheduled from mid-June through mid-September. They include trips to Eagle Island, sunset cruises to Seguin, Damariscove Island and Swan Island. Call 443-1316, extension 0, for details.

The Grand Banks fishing schooner Sherman Zwicker will arrive at the dock in late June for visitors to climb aboard and experience life at sea in the 1940s.

The boatshop workshops still have openings: June 21, “Documenting a Small Craft,” $85; June 28, “Steam bending Wood,” $85; July 19, “Oar Building with Jim Austin,” $190; and Aug. 15 to 17, “Building a Six-Plank Chest,” $345.

The Starfish Club returns for children ages 6 and under and their parents on the first Saturdays of each month. It is a free program in the museum’s Education Building. The Bookstore and Gift Shop is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Maine Maritime Museum is located at 243 Washington St. and is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call 443-1316, extension 0.

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