For three kayakers, the Eastwind, a 65-foot schooner, was in the right place at the right time last week.

On Aug. 29, a strong northerly wind blew the kayakers out to sea as they were trying to enjoy a leisurely journey around Burnt Island. The wind blew the kayakers off course to a location between Spruce Point and Squirrel Island. They were headed further out to sea toward Fisherman’s Island when they were spotted around 4 p.m. by passengers aboard the schooner.

The Eastwind had set sail at 3 p.m. for one of its four daily two-hour cruises around the bay. Captain Bradley Elder recalled the winds gusting at approximately 30-35 knots, making the schooner’s navigation difficult. Passengers saw the kayakers waving their arms. Believing the trio was in distress, they alerted Elder and his first mate Bob Howard.

“We did a swing by and they told us they couldn’t get back to shore,” Elder said. “I told them to sit tight because we were under full sail making it difficult to navigate. We did a second pass and brought the three kayakers and their kayaks aboard.”

Once the kayakers were blown off course, they struggled to return to shore because they were paddling directly into the wind. According to Elder, one of the kayakers works in the Boothbay region and the others were visiting her.

The kayakers were from Nashville, Tennessee and identified by Elder as Lindsay Blake, Jessica Burns and Whitney Ehridge.

Once aboard the Eastwind, the women were “cool, calm and collected,” but exhausted from the paddling when they arrived on board, the captain said.

“They paddled for a long time, but they weren’t freaking out. We got them some water and blankets, continued the cruise and everybody had a good time,” he said.

This is Elder’s first year as the Eastwind’s captain. He has rescued other wayward sea-goers in past years skippering other vessels, but this was his first rescue of the year. He described the rescue effort similar to the training his crew performs several times a year.

“We train for this with our man overboard drills. It’s the same theory, and it paid off, ” Elder said.

The Eastwnd’s daily cruises vary based on wind conditions, according to the captain. The cruise usually includes a scenic trip around Linekin Bay and Mouse, Fisherman’s, Squirrel and Cuckolds islands.