HERITAGE

HERITAGE

Construction photo looking towards the bow of the schooner HERITAGE This is the only windjammer that the owners are the captains on board and not only do we sail, we designed and built the HERITAGE ourselves. She is 95 ft long with a 24 ft beam. The HERITAGE continues the long historical tradition of Maine coasting schooners. Our 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 your comfort and safety in mind. The Heritage is the newest coasting schooner carrying passengers along the Maine coast. It was designed and built by Captains Doug and Linda Lee at the historic North End Shipyard in Rockland, Maine. Sailing during the summer and working on the Heritage during the off-season, the project took a year of planning and four years of construction. The launching on April 16, 1983 was attended by thousands of people, including crews from all three national television networks. Many details were incorporated into the design of the schooner specifically for the comfort of guests. Full headroom below decks eliminates the need to stoop while in one's cabin; stairs instead of ladders make it easier to go below; skylights allow sunlight to brighten below deck compartments, and a spacious galley accommodates all guests and crew during mealtime while serving as a comfortable retreat at other times. Attention to tradition makes the new schooner HERITAGE an authentic Maine coasting schooner. When it's time to hoist the anchor and raise the sails, the authentic 1921 deck engine can be called into service. The distinctive sound sings out as the gaff inches its way up the mast, sails unfurling ready to catch the wind again. The yawlboat provides power for the schooner when needed. With hand on the tiller, Linda maneuvers it into position until it gently kisses the transom and nudges the schooner along. Guests aren't disturbed by the sound or fumes of a diesel engine and unless they're watching don't even realize that the yawlboat is at work. When the yawlboat is released from her stern davits, the beautifully carved gold leaf eagle and attractive name board adorning the schooner's transom proudly announce to all that the mighty Heritage retains the beauty of the historic vessels of yesteryear. Length on deck: 95' Length over all: 145' Beam: 24' Draft: 8' (18' with the centerboard down) Sail area: 5200' Power: Yawl Boat Launched in 1983, 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, 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. The Lees’ first interaction with Rockland came a few years before they acquired North End Shipyard. The couple worked aboard the much smaller 58-foot schooner RICHARD ROBBINS from 1969 to 1971. Doug was a relief captain aboard that schooner while Linda was a relief cook. Doug Lee’s roots to the sea run deep. His father, Maynard “Bud” Lee, was involved in schooners in West Bath, where he was raised. After that, the couple spent the next two years rebuilding the schooner ISAAC EVANS at the former Percy & Small shipyard where the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath is now located. The ISAAC EVANS was built in 1886 in Mauricetown, N.J., and for many years was used to harvest oysters on the Delaware Bay. The Lees overhauled the 65-foot vessel and converted it into a passenger schooner. The couple looked for a place to sail their schooner and initially looked at Camden but there was no space in the inner harbor for them. They turned to Rockland because of its large harbor. The site that met their needs was the former Rockland-Rockport Lime Co. property on the North End waterfront. The waterfront neighborhood had once been the home of working lime kilns and docks used to ship the lime to ports in southern New England. The Lees’ first season sailing out of Rockland was in 1973. They initially leased the shipyard property but in three years managed to purchase it. Capt. John Foss, who operates the schooner AMERICAN EAGLE, is also a co-owner of the shipyard. In the late 1970s, the couple decided to build their own schooner. Over the next 5 1/2 years, they designed and built the Heritage at North End Shipyard in Rockland. The construction was done during the off-season when they were not sailing the ISAAC EVANS. The construction of the Heritage cost $500,000, not including the couple’s sweat equity. The couple used the ISAAC EVANS as loan leverage and also got help from a neighboring businessman and the bank. At high tide on a chilly April 16 in 1983, the Lees’ pride and joy was launched before 3,000 guests who came to celebrate the newest addition to the Maine windjammer fleet. Once the HERITAGE was built and ready to sail, the couple sold the ISAAC EVANS to friend Capt. Ed Glaser, who later sold it to Capt. Brenda Thomas. Thomas’ schooner also sails out of the North End Shipyard. Schooner season The HERITAGE, except for the masts, is wrapped in plastic during the winter to protect it from the elements. Lee said he likes to keep the wrap on as long as possible. At the beginning of April, the crew starts scraping off paint and then applying 40 gallons of new paint. Deteriorated planks are replaced. When the vessel is docked for the winter, grease is applied to the masts to prevent weather damage. In the spring it must all be cleaned off. Lee said if there have been many gales during the winter, the side of the masts facing the east winds have little of the grease remaining. A new addition to the HERITAGE this year is LED lighting in all the cabins. Lee noted that all the lights and equipment are run by battery and this will reduce the amount of energy used. Launched in 1983, 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. Capt. John Foss, who operates the schooner American Eagle, is also a co-owner of the shipyard. In the late 1970s, the couple decided to build their own schooner. Over the next 5 1/2 years, they designed and built the Heritage at North End Shipyard in Rockland. The construction was done during the off-season when they were not sailing the Isaac Evans. The construction of the Heritage cost $500,000, not including the couple’s sweat equity. The couple used the Isaac Evans as loan leverage and also got help from a neighboring businessman and the bank. At high tide on a chilly April 16 in 1983, the Lees’ pride and joy was launched before 3,000 guests who came to celebrate the newest addition to the Maine windjammer fleet. Once the Heritage was built and ready to sail, the couple sold the Isaac Evans to friend Capt. Ed Glaser, who later sold it to Capt. Brenda Thomas. Thomas’ schooner also sails out of the North End Shipyard. Schooner season The Heritage, except for the masts, is wrapped in plastic during the winter to protect it from the elements. Lee said he likes to keep the wrap on as long as possible. At the beginning of April, the crew starts scraping off paint and then applying 40 gallons of new paint. Deteriorated planks are replaced. When the vessel is docked for the winter, grease is applied to the masts to prevent weather damage. In the spring it must all be cleaned off. Lee said if there have been many gales during the winter, the side of the masts facing the east winds have little of the grease remaining. A new addition to the Heritage this year is LED lighting in all the cabins. Lee noted that all the lights and equipment are run by battery and this will reduce the amount of energy used. Sailing ahead Over 30 years with the Heritage, Lee said he has never had to cancel a trip because of poor weather. The schooner also weathered the Great Recession, but Lee said that had less of an impact on the business than the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “After 9/11, it’s never been the same. People are more apprehensive about doing adventurous things. People tend to stay home more,” he said. But the sailing business has been a good one for the family, he said. However, the couple’s two daughters have decided not to continue in the family business. Clara works for Google in California and Rachel works for John Hancock insurance in Boston. After more than 40 years of sailing schooners, the Lees said they are not sure how much longer they will stay in the business. “An exit plan is difficult,” Doug Lee said. “We’ve had three to four people over the years interested in doing it but in the end did not. You need to find someone who is going to love it, otherwise it’s not going to work.”