smooth sailing

An enchanting way to spend a week at sea is aboard the J. & E. Riggin, a 120-foot-long, two-masted schooner that cruises Penobscot Bay out of Rockland, Maine, from May through October. The tall wooden ship, a 1927 oyster dredger, has been lovingly restored with space for 24 passengers and a crew of six.

"There's something about being on the ocean under a vast sky," says Captain Annie Mahle, who owns the Riggin with husband Jon Finger. "You're with new people, smelling smoke from a wood-burning stove and fresh bread baking. Everything about the experience is brand-new! We love providing this adventure, because we understand how powerful it can be. Jon and I made this our life's work because it still takes our breath away."

Pictured here is a view from aboard the Riggin on a calm day on Penobscot Bay.

Photographs by Colleen Duffley
Written and produced by Carroll Stoner