Hauling up traps is part of the fun on Lucky Catch Cruises, out of Portland. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)

Things are different on the water.

The breezes are cooler, the horizon is wider and the sunsets are more vivid.

Living in Maine in summer, it’s easy to make a water escape anytime. You can board a sloop with sails aloft, take a concert cruise on a Casco Bay ferry, go on a sightseeing tour of the Kennebec River, travel on a replica Mississippi River paddlewheeler on Long Lake or engage a pedal-powered party boat.

There are lots of excursion boats up and down the coast, as well as some on Maine’s lakes. Whether you want to haul lobsters, see oysters, hear music or just chill out, it’s easy to find one near you. The Maine Office of Tourism has an interactive boat cruise section on its website, where you can search by region.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Cruising Casco Bay Concert Series

56 Commercial St., Portland. cascobaylines.com

Cruise around Casco Bay’s islands while listening to live music and enjoying a beer or cocktail. That’s the idea behind the Casco Bay Lines summer concert series, featuring local bands and a cash bar on an evening cruise that just happens to coincide with sunset. Upcoming local performers including Country Girl Summer on July 30, Toby McAllister on Aug. 7 and Hello Newman on Sept. 10. Tickets are $30 and several shows this summer have already sold out.

Damariscotta River Cruises

40 Main St., Damariscotta. damariscottarivercruises.com

Explore the fertile oyster-growing grounds of the Damariscotta River with a two-hour boat tour. Besides learning about oysters and oyster farming, there are cocktails and oysters served at the bar. The cruise offers wildlife viewing too, including harbor seals, ospreys and bald eagles. Tickets are $45.

Katahdin Cruises

12 Lily Bay Road, Greenville. katahdincruises.com

Imagine what a Maine vacation was like 100 years ago, by touring Moosehead Lake on the Katahdin, a steamboat built in 1914. There are a range of cruise durations and routes, including the two-hour Moose Island cruise and the daylong cruise of the entire lake, which includes breakfast and a turkey dinner. Tickets range from $40 to $125. The boat is owned and operated by the Moosehead Marine Museum.

Kate Dumont talks to passengers about lobsters during a Lucky Catch Cruises trip on Casco Bay. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)<?xml version="1.0"?> Purchase this image Lucky Catch Cruises

170 Commercial St., Portland. luckycatch.com

On these cruises around Casco Bay, passengers are invited to haul lobster traps and learn about the daily routines of a Maine lobsterman. People learn about hard shells, shedders, shorts, culls and keepers, among other things. Any lobsters caught on your trip can be purchased afterwards. The tours are 80-90 minutes and include views of lighthouses, historic forts and seals basking on rocks. Tickets are $60 for adults, $45 for children.

Maine Bay Cycle

70 Commercial St., Portland. mainebaycycle.com

Explore Casco Bay, have a drink and get your cardio workout. These things are all possible on Maine BayCycle, a pedal-powered party boat out of Portland. You sit under cover, on stools, with pedals at your feet. The cruises are for groups of six to 14, and last 90 minutes. You can bring your own beer and wine, and food. Tickets start at $45.

Maine Maritime Museum

243 Washington St., Bath. mainemaritimemuseum.org

Tour the mighty Kennebec River, which flows from Moosehead Lake to the Atlantic Ocean, on the Merrymeeting. The 50-passenger tour boat is run by the Maine Maritime Museum and gives tours of the river. There are a wide variety of tours, including the four-hour Lighthouse Lovers tour, which passes by 10 lighthouses. There are also nature watching tours, an oyster tasting cruise and one focused on the history and operations of the massive Bath Iron Works complex. Tickets range from $12 (for a 30-minute tour) to $95 for an Independence Day fireworks cruise.

A Morning in Maine

Middle Pier at 3 Police Plaza, Rockland. amorninginmaine.com

While Maine has many windjammer cruises, which offer overnight sailing ship excursions, there are ways to get a taste of what sailing is like and still be home for supper. The ketch Morning in Maine offers two-hour sailing trips, where passengers leave Rockland Harbor and explore the coastline, watching for seals, porpoises, bald eagles and historic windjammers. Tickets are $65. The same company runs the Sarah Mead, a sailing lobster boat with room for six people. Individual tickets for a two-hour tour are $85, with discounts for group purchases.

The Maine Bay Cycle pedal-powered boat in Portland Harbor on July 23. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer) New England EcoAdventures

8 Western Ave., Kennebunk; 1 Marina Way, Portland. newenglandecoadventures.com

For people who want a little more action on their boat tour, this company gives tours on fast rigid inflatable boats (RIB), patterned after crafts used by Navy Seals and the Coast Guard. With small groups, every seat has a 360-degree view. There are whale watches and coastal tours around Kennebunkport, including one that goes past Walker’s Point, summer home of the Bush family. There’s a whale watch and a Casco Bay tour out of Portland, plus an oyster cruise. Cruise prices range from about $49 for one hour to $199 for the two-hour oyster tour with oysters and a lobster roll.

Quack N’ Cruise

180 Commercial St., Portland. quackncruise.com

Take an amphibious tour of Portland on these duck boats. There’s something almost magical about riding along in what appears to be a bus, and then watch it drive straight into the harbor and float! Tickets are $44.99 for adults, $34.99 for children 3-12.

Reggae Cruise

42 Commercial St., Boothbay Harbor. boothbayboattrips.com

Cap’n Fish’s offer a Sunday evening music cruise, along with all their other tours. The Reggae Cruise features the Dani Tribesmen Reggae Band playing aboard the Harbor Princess, for two and a half hours. Tickets are $59. The company also offers a whale and puffin cruise, for $109.

Songo River Queen II

841 Roosevelt Trail, Naples. songoriverqueen2.com

This is a 93-foot-long replica of Mississippi River paddlewheeler, with a capacity of more than 300 on two decks, cruising on Long Lake, near Sebago. Besides scenic cruises, there are various entertainment cruises. Some of the performers scheduled include a Neil Diamond tribute with Steve Kelly and Cherry Cherry Band on Aug. 7. Tickets start at $35.