The J. & E. Riggin is a beautiful old two-masted schooner that has been newly rebuilt to accommodate 24 passengers and 6 crew. She is 90' long on deck, 120' overall, 23' wide and draws 7' with her centerboard up. The Riggin was originally built in Dorchester, N.J., in 1927, for the oyster-dredging trade. She was built for Charles Riggin, who named her after his two sons, Jacob and Edward. She gained a fine reputation in the Delaware Bay area as an able sailor. After being rebuilt and rerigged as a passenger vessel, the Riggin has sailed Penobscot Bay since 1977. She was designated a National Historic Monument in 1991.

The Riggin is fully equipped with GPS, radar, loran, and radio. She meets all Coast Guard requirements for construction and safety equipment. Newly certified to carry passengers, she fully meets all requirements for stability and watertight integrity. With her sleek lines preserved, the Riggin is still the fast and reliable sailor that earned the respect of the oystermen on the Delaware Bay. Just as she was when she was built, the Riggin has no inboard engine. Her sixteen-foot diesel-powered yawl boat can be used during calm spells for maneuvering into or out of tight harbors. The Riggin's superior sailing ability allows us to cruise by the islands and coastal scenery without the noise and fumes of an engine to disturb the spell.

The Captains

A lifelong sailor who has cruised the Maine Coast for more than a decade, Captain Jon Finger holds a Master of Sail 500-ton license. He began sailing on Lake Michigan, and served a four-year tour in the U.S. Coast Guard, on the Academy's tall ship Eagle and the icebreaker Mackinaw. His sailing career has taken him all along the East Coast, crewing on a research vessel in Bermuda and captaining charter yachts from Maine to the Caribbean.

Anne Mahle is not only a licensed captain, she is also a skilled professional cook with over 20 years in the food industry and has a unique sense of style. She studied at the Culinary Institute of America, worked in the restaurant industry for eight years, training for three years under a Swiss chef. She was drawn to the Maine coast from her native Midwest and, after graduating from Michigan State University; she spent three years working in the windjammer fleet, both on deck and in the galley. She also sailed for several seasons as professional crew on a private yacht in New England and the Caribbean.