Schooner Heritage

My first windjammer cruise and it could not have been better!! Captain Ben and Captain Sean were so capable (Sean’s cooking on a cast iron wood burning stove was DELICIOUS!). Captain Ben was at the helm and a master sailor! The crew went above their duties to make everyone comfortable and they were so very congenial and helpful! Beth (future Mrs Sean😊) was the baker extraordinaire! I can not over state how wonderful the whole experience was. Sign me up for next season!!

Excellent 6 day voyage! We were treated like royalty! Some of us helped to trim the flying jib when tacking.The Heritage is said to be the largest and most comfortable boat in the MWA fleet. The crew are very professional and able. We had good music on deck and great food! In the huge galley (and lobster on Lobster Island!). We want to do this again!

Wonderful sailing adventure, this is my 8th trip on the schooner Heritage. Love the captains and the crew. The meals are outstanding, fresh warm homemade cookies everyday. Good music on board! I will be back! Cheryl

Just completed 3 days of spectacular sailing, perfect weather and gracious hospitality - what an amazing 1st schooner trip! Oh, and the FOOD! So much great food - from the lobster boil on the beach to the homemade bread, cookies & ice cream - every little bite was delicious! Thank you to Captains Sean & Ben and their SCHOONER HERITAGE crew and especially to Beth who was able to (finally) get us off the waiting list and into our 1st choice cabin.

My husband and I had a blast on our first ever sailing trip! The food was excellent- and tons of it! We never went hungry. The crew was super helpful and professional. We saw a seal and porpoise in the first half hour! Highly recommend to anyone looking to slow down for a really relaxing weekend. Special thanks to David and Noah!

What a great adventure! This was our first trip on the Heritage and we hope to return. What talented captains, they sail, they sing and an amazing crew! The food was fabulous! So enjoyable to meet and get to know our fellow passengers, which totally enriched the sailing experience. Thank you!

Awesome trip. Food was amazing and crew more than accommodating. Can’t wait to return next year!

I have now made 17 trips on the Heritage, each has been unique as each depends on the wind, weather and if any the destination. First the boat: built in 1983 it was specifically designed for the passenger trade, not converted from a working schooner. The cabins are cozy, but then you don't spend much time in them except to sleep. You have a choice of either bunk beds or a twin and each has a sink for washing. Food: all is prepared in the galley and breakfast and dinner are served in the salon where everyone can be seated. Lunch is served on deck. The menu is innovative and there is always more than ample supply. Lobster is planned for one of the meals with alternatives for those who can't or don't want it. The Captains, Ben and Sean, truly love what they do and the boat they sail. The crew is pleasant and helpful. When anchored you have the opportunity to row or sail the small boats. Games and reading material are available for entertainment and you may be serenaded by the Captains. However, you are responsible for your own "fun" in whatever manner you choose. If things come together, you may get to have time ashore, but there is no guarantee that will happen, so be prepared. Come to enjoy the sights of the Maine coast, if it weren't a great experience I wouldn't return year after year.

Had a glorious time onboard with my daughter. Captains Ben and Shawn are experienced and always willing to explain things onboard. The crew are young and hilarious, albeit rookies at the craft. The ship is beautiful and a joy to be aboard. The food is excellent and plentiful. The trip was everything I was hoping for and more.

One of the best experiences of my life, The Schooner Heritage was an incredible adventure. Went with one of my best friends, Jim and we had a blast. This was a 3 night, 4 day windjammer sailing trip around the Penobscot Bay islands in north-central Maine. We had cabin bunks (had a sink, bathrooms were up top). While the ship has a very awesome crew, you are encouraged to help pull in sails, pull up boats, row the mini-boats to shore, do dishes, etc. I learned so much about sailing (I brought a little notebook). The food was better than most restaurants I've been to and all included in the price; one of the captains is a chef. You learn to let go and unplug a lot by doing this, it was an interesting combination of relaxing and getting your hands dirty. Saturday morning the motor that hoists the anchor and sails up broke down, so we helped raise it manually, fantastic morning workout. It was hard leaving the ship on Sunday, you form friendships with the other guests on board and mostly the crew. I can see how people make this an entire lifestyle, as I will definitely return to the seas. Make friends wherever you go and find adventure in everything you do.

We have been sailing with the Schooner since it was launched in 1983, initially with Skippers Doug and Linda Lee. The Heritage, being designed from the keel on up by the Lees for the more contemporary application of transporting people around Penobscot Bay for pleasure instead of transporting things like pig iron and coal from Maine to New York, Is therefore far more comfortable than the older restored/rehabbed neighboring boats, with a spacious common area for eating and reading and broader decks for sitting and taking in the scenery. Yet its historically accurate design and on-board equipment, such as a wood-burning stove and an old gas-powered one-cylinder "donkey" engine from the 1920's, harkens to the seafaring tradition of the old commercial off-shore coastal schooner. To quote JFK, "The torch has now been passed to a new generation," and Ben and Sean are now the proud Co-captains of this marvelous ship. In addition to touring the magnificent coastal scenery of the state of Maine, they bring on-board their own unique talents. Ben is notable for his precision when commanding the vessel and Sean, as executive chef, brings out wonderfully savory meals. Fear not, there is no wanting for food on this vessel - if you are a Hobbit used to 8 meals a day, this boat is for you. Both Sean and Ben are accomplished guitarists and they will entertain you onboard in the evening with an absolutely professional level of vocal and instrument harmony. I have a high bar for musical entertainment, and will walk away (or swim away, in this case) from second rate performances, but these two will sweep you away with their talent. Finally, the famous Wednesday "Lobster Island" lobster boils are not to be missed. The mixture of live lobster freshly boiled with Maine seaweed gives the lobster a sweetness that just cannot be replicated in any restaurant (or home, for that matter). There's more I could say but why drone on? Take a look at the photos that decorate their web site and imagine you are there. Time to book another rez for next year.

If you're looking for the adventure of a lifetime, there's nothing more beautiful than sailing the Maine coast aboard a schooner. As other reviewers have described, the food is just one reason to book a trip. It's educational, historical, and just a treat for your senses. Most of the passengers were returning guests, and once you've been aboard you too will be thinking about when to plan your next trip.

I just sailed on the Heritage for 5 day and returned very relaxed and satisfied. Its a beautiful schooner. the owners are competent and fun the crew are great. A grand adventure.

An experience like no other. The captains and crew were excellent. The food was so good and plenty of it. The lobster camp was a treat and we'll thought out especially on our beautiful sunny day! I highly recommend if your looking for an adventure!

This 3-day trip on the Schooner Heritage would have been my 4th or 5th: I had loved every one of those spectacular vacations aboard this vessel, starting in 1992. As we boarded, I heard braying (a loud kind of laughing) from "Dave from Buffalo" already seated with his friends and family and all of whom expressed great glee when any new member of their party arrived. I had hoped they would settle down. No. It got worse. This was a group of men (without spouses) drinking Bud Lite and whooping it up until midnight the first night before we set sail. The accommodations for passengers (and crew) do not allow for noise at night because there is no privacy - the cabins are below the deck with openings at the top of the doors to allow airflow and the crew sleeps behind curtains in the galley and hallways. I asked the Captains THREE times if some kind of quiet hours would occur after 10 pm. There was either no response or one that indicated that nothing would be done. "Dave and his pals" - ruled the roost. We were obliged (more like imprisoned in the galley) to sit and listen to his boring and rather annoying presentation of gag gifts for 20 minutes. It was clear this was going to be nothing like the other relaxing and fabulous sails along the gorgeous Maine coast. We left the ship - and have heard NOTHING from the company, either apology or anything else. If you decide to book this trip (rave reviews and return guests), inquire whether some other group of inconsiderate jerks will be part of the 32 passengers.

Schooner Heritage and Business practices is disrespectful to me. I had to cancel a wonderful schooner trip planned with our police officer son. I have been on the Heritage schooner three times and paid full fare. Since I cancelled before they did, Capt Doug and Linda Lee are refusing to return their cancellation fee if $100.00 eventhough they cancelled their entire 2020 season of sailing. I have requested that money back and told no. They have no right to keep a cancellation fee if they in fact cancel all sailing trips themselves. . They have been wonderful over the years, this is just a very poor way to treat their past customers. They praise them selves on saying they do not advertise.All business comes from repeat customers, well, not me. I have informed them of my feelings. The above is what I got. Arnie Adler

My wife and I just returned from a fantastic 4-day cruise on the schooner Heritage out of Rockland, Maine. We sailed to several sheltered harbors during the day and spent the nights there. We had a sumptuous lobster bake on an island beach the first night. All the meals were great. The crew couldn't have been more efficient or friendlier to the passengers. We could all do as much or as little work around the boat as we wanted. Captain Doug Lee told many interesting stories and I'm pretty sure at least one or two may have been true. He was in charge of the schooner. Captain Linda Lee was in charge of Captain Doug ! David George Rinaldi, Plymouth, MA

I Had high expectations for a sailing adventure which was nothing but a long boat ride. Real sailor need not apply. The old boat is for sale and maybe that is a good thing for all.