The book, The Visual Encyclopedia of Nautical Terms Under Sail,  had been gifted to Captain Dave Allen and his wife Sue, the previous stewards of the J&E Riggin. On the title flap are 24 signatures, a note that reads ‘To Dave & Sue 7/23/82′ and song/poem:

Roll out the Riggin
We’ll have an Ocean of fun
Sail out the Riggin
We’ll have the fleet on the Run
hoist up the Anchor
And when the great Race is done
We’re sure glad we sailed the Riggin
Cause She’s Number One

To me it reads like a sea shanty written by the passengers on the July 23rd 1982 cruise, a cruise that may have been the annual race week…..and dare I say the Riggin won? Given the sea shanty nature of the song/poem, what better word to get us started with nautical terms than ‘shanty‘?!

A shanty or chanty is a song sung on board to help hands work in unison, for instance  while pulling on ropes or heaving at the capstan. Usually included in short solo verses and hearty choruses.*

While hauling lines to raise the sails in the morning or while you’re on anchor duty there is nothing better than hearing Annie sing a shanty like “Rollin Down to Old Maui” keeping cadence to the work. You may have also heard this particular song sung by former crew member Susan Hickey on Water Meets Sand or on our Music Week trip with singer/storyteller Geoff Kauffman. (The CD’s for both Susan & Geoff are available in our ship’s store.) For an audio example check out this version by Stan Rogers.

*Definition from  The Visual Encyclopedia of Nautical Terms Under Sail by Basil w. Bathe, 1978

This year we are happy to have 6 designs available including the newest addition of “Autumn Moment” showing the 1927  built wooden boat hauled out on a late fall afternoon. Also two of our best sellers are back - “Evening Colors” showing the  Maine windjammer sailing toward the snow-covered hillside of Owls Head Lighthouse and “Rounding the Mark” with the schooner whimsically sailing around a Christmas tree. Each set of 10 cards is printed on recycled paper using wind power and comes with white envelopes.

The full list of available cards including “Sailing Toward Unity”, “Santa’s New Ride”, and “Winter Solstice” are available on our website.

New brochure by Mimi Steadman & Co and Tim Seymour

After tweaking language and going through hundreds of photos we had Mimi Steadman & Company put together a design we love. (If you are looking for a new brochure or print material give Mimi a call!)

The photos used in new design we feel really captures what it is that happens aboard the Riggin. This would not have been possible without wonderful photos from Kip Brundage, Frank M. Chillemi (the Riggn’s photography instructor), Dana Degenhardt, David Delperdang, Ben Krebs (of BK Photo), Carol Latta (of Amazing Maine), Elizabeth Poisson (of Rocky Coast Photography), and Edward Riggin.

Here are a couple of the photos that appear in the new brochure!J&E Riggin New Brochure

Carol Latta (www.AmazingMaine.com) - Owls Head Lighthouse

Ben Krebs (www.benkrebs.com) - Breakfast

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way, where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

“Sea Fever” is from SALT-WATER POEMS AND BALLADS, by John Masefield, published by the Maxmillan Co., NY, © 1913

What is your favorite poem, limerick, song, quote about the sea and sailing?

Maine Lighthouses from Maine Office of Tourism on Vimeo.

The crew has already rowed ashore and brought everything we need to the island:

-          Firewood (we bring it with us instead of collecting driftwood so we make the least impact on the island’s ecosystem)
-          Fire pan (we build th eifre on top of this pan)
-          Galvanized steel washtub
-          Lobsters
-          Fresh Corn on the Cob
-          Baked Potatoes
-          Melted Lemon Butter
-          Snacks
-          Watermelon
-          Lemonade (passengers often bring beer and wine with them)
-          Sausages and chicken (for the non lobster fans)
-          Chocolate bars, marshmallows and graham crackers for S’mores

A fire is lit below the high tide mark, corn is shucked, various goodies are put out to tide us over until the lobster is ready. Once the fire is really going the lobster pot- a huge steel tub- is filled with 2-3 inches of salt water and set on the fire to boil. While we wait for the water to boil, several armloads of seaweed are gathered (we are careful to leave some seaweed at each spot so it can grow back). Once the water is boiling we layers the lobsters, corn, mussels and clams in the pot, cover it with a “lid” of seaweed, wait for it to come to a boil and rotate the pot for even cooking on the fire. When the water comes to a second boil we’ll pull some of the seaweed aside and check to see that the lobsters are red all over. When they are done, the pot is carried away from the fire, the seaweed is arranged on a flat rock and everything is placed on the seaweed bed, ready to eat (the crew does the lobster dance).

Once everyone has had their fill of lobster, the watermelon is sliced and the makings for S’mores are laid out. There’s always a lively discussion over how to make the best S ‘more, and the proper way to roast a marshmallow – golden on the outside and soft and gooey inside or  burnt to a crisp on the outside and just warmed on the inside.

Now how can you beat that?!

Day Six:

Saturday morning we raise anchor early and head back home.  Last minute group photos are taken, addresses exchanged, and a hearty brunch is served to tide everyone over on their way home.  We tie up in Rockland amid relaxed, revitalized smiles and see everyone ashore hugs and goodbyes.

This post wraps up our A Week at Sea series and we hope they have helped give you an idea of what it is like on a Maine windjammer cruise aboard the Schooner J&E Riggin. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to call us or send an email. We are ALWAYS happy to chat with you about sailing!

‘Day Six’  is excerpted from Annie Mahle’s At Home, At Sea: Recipes from the Maine Windjammer J. & E. Riggin

As the week goes by everyone relaxes more and more and rises later and later.  But coffee is still ready at 7 for early risers, and several passengers take our peapod out for a quiet row.

By Friday everyone is an ol’ salt and is ready help get the Riggin underway; the Captain calls out “Heave out!” and “Raise your headsails!” and we’re off for our final full day of sailing.  We head westward, back towards Rockland.  Sailing off the anchor powered by wind alone. No sound of an engine, no smell of diesel fumes, just the water lapping on the hull.  With a brisk wind, we sail through the Fox Islands Thoroughfare, a picturesque passageway between Vinalhaven and North Haven Islands and then tack out to the east side. We turn north and, as the afternoon sea breeze fills our sails, shoot up the coast of North Haven to our final stop for the trip, Pulpit Harbor.  Records of the osprey nest that stands as a sentry at the entrance of Pulpit Harbor on the island of North Haven go back over 200 years.  It’s a real treat to sit at anchor and watch these majestic birds fish for their dinners.  It’s been an exciting week!

‘Day Five’  is excerpted from Annie Mahle’s At Home, At Sea: Recipes from the Maine Windjammer J. & E. Riggin

We know not everyone is on Facebook, where we’ve kept fans up-to-date as information comes in, so we thought we’d share today’s events in a post so you don’t miss out on all the fun! Below is a breakdown of posts from the MWA and photos from Capt Annie (that she took and sent in between cooking for everyone!) The race is made up of 4 classes – Coaster, Leeward, Windward & Visitors and has 15 participating vessels this year:

- MWA boats – American Eagle, Angelique, Grace Bailey, Heritage, Isaac H. Evans, Lewis R. French, Mary Day, Merchantile, Mistress, Nathaniel Bowditch, Stephen Taber, Timberwind, Victory Chimes
- Visiting boats - J&E Riggin, Spirit of South Carolina, Koukla

Race has started and we are all off to a low wind meander!

• The race began today at 11 am off Western Island (near Castine) and will race to the Northeast tip of Butter  Island (with a slight variations based on class).
• By 1pm Captain Kip of the Victory Chimes was reporting they were leading the 3 masted race… they are the only 3 masted vessel participating :)

Swim call during the race - not a good sign, but SO fun!

• 3pm – The association reports in-  ”The Schooner Mary Day has won the Windward Class. Congrats Captain Barry! Currently the Stephen Taber‘s out in front for the Coaster Class, but it’s still too early to tell. Leeward Class could be a close finish. Current conditions: 12 knot breeze out of the SW”

Getting really close to the Angelique as we begin to round the first mark, the R2 bell off Green Ledge.

Got some WIND! Passing Great Spruce and headed toward Butter and the finish line... and, um, in the lead!

• 3:30 – the association reports in again – “The Angelique has won the Leeward Class and the J&E Riggin has won the Visitor’s Class. Congratulations Captain Mike and Jon, respectively! Meanwhile, the Coasters are still battling it out…”

Capt and crew doing the happy dance after crossing the finish line FIRST! Love to all of those who were unable to be with us this year.

Update: When we made this post live yesterday the results for the Coaster class had not been decided yet. At 6pm it was announced that the Stephen Taber took the honor for the Coaster class.