The Schooner J. & E. Riggin Gets Ready to Set Sail in Maine for the Season

Photo Credit–Elizabeth Poisson

The Schooner J. & E. Riggin Gets Ready to Set Sail in Maine for the Season

Several specialty cruises offered including Maine Lighthouses & Lobsters and

Maine Knitting Cruises

ROCKLAND, Maine—Captain Jon Finger and Chef Annie Mahle, along with the crew of the schooner J. & E. Riggin, are getting ready for the first cruise of the Maine windjammer season over Memorial Day weekend! This season the J. & E. Riggin will offer many specialty cruises, along with the amazing food from Chef Annie who has released her second cookbook, Sugar & Salt: A Year at Home and at Sea.

The sailing schedule which begins May 25 and goes through October 3, includes many popular specialty trips such as the Maine Lighthouse & Lobster Cruise. Maine is known for its rugged coastline, rocky beaches, and Maine windjammers, lighthouses and lobsters. Captain Jon and Annie have taken three of these iconic ideas and combined them into a unique vacation experience. With over 60 lighthouses in Maine and over 20 in the sailing grounds of Penobscot Bay, passengers will see as many Maine lighthouses as possible during a 4 or 6 day Maine Lighthouses & Lobster Windjammer Cruise. Passengers will also be treated to many Maine lobster dishes on these cruises.

There is also the ever popular Maine Knitting Cruise. Throughout the season the Captain has invited several knitting experts on board to teach passengers the art of knitting. The first knitting cruise takes place May 29, with knitter Mim Bird of Over the Rainbow Yarn in Rockland. This cruise, “Gilding the Lily: Embellishments for Your Knits,” will cover crocheted edgings, needle-felted additions, beading, embroidery, smocking as well as knitted or crocheted dimensional additions. Simple techniques will be taught, allowing passengers to add richness or whimsy to their projects and elevate plain fabric to the level of art. There will be a total of four knitting cruises throughout the season, each with a different theme.

Photo Credit–Elizabeth Poisson

Other specialty cruises include Music/Sea History/Story Telling with Geoff Kauffman, It’s All About the Food – Maine Sampler and iPhoneography with Colleen Duffley of Studio b.

The J. & E. Riggin was named “The Best Place to Have Dinner with a View” by Yankee Magazine in their 2010 Best of New England issue. Chef Annie has honed her craft for more than 25 years. Her first cookbook, the acclaimed At Home, At Sea, was featured on the Today Show and its recipes were highlighted by dozens of national media outlets including the Food Network and Traditional Home Magazine. Guests on these cruises will enjoy spectacular scenery and savory substance gathered from Chef Annie’s own garden, local farms and farmers’ markets.

“We are excited about this sailing season as we have put together what we feel are some unique cruises on the coast of Maine,” said Captain Jon Finger of the schooner J. & E. Riggin. “You can’t go wrong with the scenic Maine coast and the delicious food my wife will prepare for all of our guests.”

For more information on the J. & E. Riggin and the cruises offered please visitwww.mainewindjammer.com. If you are interested in Chef Annie’s second cookbook,Sugar & Salt: A Year at Home and at Sea, it’s available in local Maine shops and directly online at www.athomeatsea.com.

Photo Credit–Elizabeth Poisson, High-Res photos available upon request.

Media Contact:

Angie Helton, Northeast Media Associates

207-653-0365

nema@maine.rr.com

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