Schooner Heritage - Rockland Maine

Boat Description

The Schooner Heritage is one of the newest Maine Windjammers in the fleet. The Heritage was built in 1983 by her owners, Captains Doug and Linda Lee, at the North End Shipyard in Rockland, Maine. The Heritage was launched on April 16, 1983 in front of a crowd of thousands of people, including crews from TV networks and other national media. Built along the traditional lines of the schooners that navigated the waters off the coast of Maine more than a hundred years ago, the Heritage was designed to provide passengers with a level of convenience and cruising amenities that makes sailing on the Heritage one of the best windjammer cruises around. In the four years it took to construct the Heritage, attention was given to details aimed primarily in providing passenger comfort making the sailing experience truly a memorable one. The Heritage is a big, powerful, wonderful, stable vessel, 95 ft long and 24 ft wide, with plenty of deck space for everyone. Unlike most schooners, passengers can easily enter their cabins, enjoy a spacious place for meals, and not have a hard time going up and down because of stairs. The Hertiage continues the long historical tradition of Maine coasting schooners. The owners interest in the maritime history of the coast of Maine has been the foundation of the schooner's design. She is not a replica, but rather the next generation of coasting schooner designed specifically with passenger comfort and safety in mind.

Boat Photographs

Cruise Information

The 95' Schooner Heritage, operating out of Rockland Harbor, offers 3, 4, 5 & 6 day cruises of Penobscot Bay. The destinations of each trip are dictated by the wind, tide, and weather, for the Heritage is pure sail and has no inboard engine. (When needed, the Heritage carries its own yawlboat for power.) Once the sails are set and trimmed, the ship may set a course downeast towards Castine or perhaps head south towards enchanting Mussel Ridge Channel. Anchorages are mostly deserted islands, protected coves, or small island fishing villages. It is truly escaping to places few folks will ever experience.

Spend the days trimming sails, steering the schooner, learning about the Maine coast and marine wildlife, or just sit back, read a book, and watch the Maine coast drift past. Interesting sights during the trip typically include bald eagles, puffins, seals, porpoises, the ocassional whale, lighthouses, other windjammers, uninhabited islands with secluded anchorages, quaint fishing villages, working harbors and summer resort destinations. When the sun begins to set, the Heritage will settle into a cozy harbor and swing silently at anchor.

While at anchor, the Heritage often launches one of its rowboats to take passengers ashore. Head ashore for some beachcombing or hike around a small Maine island town, but be sure to be back aboard for dinner. The Heritage's galley crew cooks up delicious meals on the ship's wood cookstove to satisfy the most demanding appetites. After dessert, enjoy time with your new shipmates, check out the beautiful night sky, or perhaps just enjoy the quiet and peacefulness of the surrounding coastal scenery.

One of the afternoons of your trip, the Heritage will anchor at a small secluded island and row ashore for a special Maine Lobster Bake. The crew will cook up the freshest Maine lobster on an open beachside bonfire with all the "fixins" of a traditional Maine Lobster Bake.

During your trip, the Heritage will sail around the hundreds of islands that dot Penobscot Bay. You will settle into the rhythm of shipboard life and leave the every day stresses of daily life behind. By trip's end, your new shipmates will have become new friends and you will understand why many of our guests return each year for another sail aboard the Heritage.

Trip & Rate Information (2010 Sailing Season)

Ship Accommodations

Guest Cabins Aboard The Schooner Heritage

The Schooner Heritage was built with the comfort of her passengers in mind. With a length of 95' and a width of 24' there is plenty of room to accommodate 30 passengers and the crew necessary for a comfortable voyage.

The galley is located in the large after-cabin, the most comfortable part of any ship. The galley has a new wood burning Shipmate stove and a large skylight overhead.

The Heritage's cabins (14 doubles, 6 with double bunks, 2 with private heads, and 2 singles) not only have standing headroom and electric lights, but sinks with hot and cold running water. Sheets and blankets are provided and passengers may refresh themselves with a hot shower in the forward deck house. Heads are conveniently located on deck.

Captains/Hosts

Captains Doug and Linda Lee both always sail aboard the Heritage. They've been doing so on their own schooners for more than 30 years now. After years of sailing their first schooner together, they dared to do the unthinkable; design and build the Heritage from the keel up. A monumental undertaking that took four years to complete, they now have a schooner that not only looks like a traditional coasting schooner but has been specifically constructed with their guests' comfort in mind.

Both have Masters Licenses issued by the United States Coast Guard, Linda being the first woman in the fleet to earn hers. The requirements are substantial, including accumulated sea time working aboard a vessel as well as an extensive written exam covering all aspects of seamanship.

Their teamwork makes sailing one of the larger windjammers look easy but it's because of their years of experience working together. You may find either one at the wheel, or working alongside crew and passengers alike to sheet in sails, coil lines or furl the sails at day's end. Passengers are amazed by Linda's non-stop activity. Throughout the week you'll find her frequenting the galley keeping a watchful eye over the preparation of meals, if not actually kneading the bread dough or rolling out a half dozen pie crusts. Midweek on a sunny afternoon she'll have an impromptu ship's store, describing the items as she unpacks them. All while carrying on conversations with passengers or crew.

There's more to a week aboard though than sailing. Don't be surprised when Doug and Linda take a seat at your table for breakfast, joining in the recounting of yesterday's adventures. Doug may go into storyteller mode after dinner in the evening, captivating everyone with his stories laced with DownEast humor. Guests who have sailed before often put in their request for a particular story on the first day of a trip. Linda perhaps will give you a tour of the evening sky right from the schooner deck, pointing out different constellations. The sky, undisturbed by city lights, appears awash with tiny diamonds, perfect for stargazing.

Location Map

Contact Information

PO Box 482

5 Achorn St.
Rockland, ME 04841
TF: 800-648-4544
PH: 207-594-8007
Fax: 207-594-1001
Email: click here

Heritage Website

Heritage Video

Click the image to play the video.

The Schooner Heritage was built in 1983 by her owners, Captains Doug and Linda Lee, at the North End Shipyard in Rockland, Maine. Designed for the comfort of her passengers, the vessel was built in the tradition of a 19th century coasting schooner.