Environmentally Friendly

A word from Captain Anne Mahle about environmental responsibility . . .

“A few years into owning the J. & E. Riggin, we made a commitment to the process of social responsibility. In the beginning, we started with things that cost us nothing but made an impact in some way. Recycling and composting became our first goal. We had so much organic matter going into municipal dump – now it feeds our healthy 1000 square foot garden. We reduced the amount of garbage on board from 2-3 bags a day to 2-3 bags a week.

Our next goal was to find effective and safe cleaning products that didn’t pollute the very waters on which we sailed. It was equally important to maintain a very high level of sanitation. What is interesting is that we found we saved a good deal of money by making our own cleaning supplies. We also found that the ones we now use are as effective if not more effective than the brand products we used before.

Two books that I found very helpful when developing the recipes that work on the boat were Clean and Green by Annie Berthold-Bond and Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan. While we haven’t found natural alternatives to every product we need to use on the boat, we have seriously reduced the number and amount of non-natural products we use.

Our commitment to buying local produce is one of our stronger decisions and is a cornerstone of my cooking. There are some practical limitations as Maine’s growing season is short and limited, so we supplement what we can’t get from our Community Supported Farm at the local grocery store.

We have also made a conscious decision to support our community. Again, we started slowly, doing what we could, donating what we could. Every business has to start somewhere. This isn’t about having an absolutely pristine record from your first day in business, but is more about the striving to make conscious, responsible decisions.

We now donate 5% of our profits to children’s, environmental, and educational charities.”

Please email us with any questions concerning our environmental position.


	A word from Captain Anne Mahle about environmental responsibility . . . “A few years into owning the J. & E. Riggin, we made a commitment to the process of social responsibility. In the beginning, we started with things that cost us nothing but made an impact in some way. Recycling and composting became our first goal. We had so much organic matter going into municipal dump – now it feeds our healthy 1000 square foot garden. We reduced the amount of garbage on board from 2-3 bags a day to 2-3 bags a week. Our next goal was to find effective and safe cleaning products that didn’t pollute the very waters on which we sailed. It was equally important to maintain a very high level of sanitation. What is interesting is that we found we saved a good deal of money by making our own cleaning supplies. We also found that the ones we now use are as effective if not more effective than the brand products we used before. Two books that I found very helpful when developing the recipes that work on the boat were Clean and Green by Annie Berthold-Bond and Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan. While we haven’t found natural alternatives to every product we need to use on the boat, we have seriously reduced the number and amount of non-natural products we use. Our commitment to buying local produce is one of our stronger decisions and is a cornerstone of my cooking. There are some practical limitations as Maine’s growing season is short and limited, so we supplement what we can’t get from our Community Supported Farm at the local grocery store. We have also made a conscious decision to support our community. Again, we started slowly, doing what we could, donating what we could. Every business has to start somewhere. This isn’t about having an absolutely pristine record from your first day in business, but is more about the striving to make conscious, responsible decisions. We now donate 5% of our profits to children’s, environmental, and educational charities.” Please email us with any questions concerning our environmental position. .	Photos Credits: #1, 2 & 3 by Frank M. Chillemi