We are anchored in Rockland Harbor, Maine, it’s blowing near gale force and raining of course, courtesy of what’s left of hurricane Issac. A speck on the horizon grows rapidly in size, as a schooner fore-reaches towards shelter. Outer and inner jibs drawing, main and foresail taut, gaffs beautifully twisted off, she is a sight to behold.
In this era of roller furling, where sailboats use their engines 70% or more of the time, it is a treat to witness what a properly handled vessel can do without an inboard engine. This is the Heritage, one of the working schooners of Maine, making its way in the world by introducing paying passengers to a sailor’s heritage.
She’s got her outer jib down on the headstay now, with the inner about to be furled. Jib hanks work really well in this context, and also on modern yachts. They are simple, reliable, and allow easy headsail changes.
Main and mizzen sheeted in, Heritage goes head to wind off our stern.
The big foresail calmly drops onto its boom, lazy jacks and gaff keeping the heavy canvas under control. With the main sheeted in she sits quietly head to wind.
The jolly boat holds Heritage on station.
Gaff headed main furls as quietly as the fore.
Her anchor is uncatted, ready to drop, the jolly boat pushes the stern around, and off she goes to her downwind moorage.
We think an extra ration of grog is in order for master and crew of the schooner Heritage.
Posted by Steve Dashew (September 20, 2012)
September 20th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Oh, now that was fun! Makes me wish we had two masts instead of one!
September 21st, 2012 at 3:05 am
A superb sequence of shots that took me right back to my days of sail. Thanks from a grateful sailorman.
September 21st, 2012 at 9:07 am
Exciting, bow on.
September 21st, 2012 at 10:53 am
In the summer of 1991 as the USS Patterson was decomissioning, she needed to be moved a berth in the back basin in Philadelphia, but we were on shore power only with the tanks dry as a bone. The tugs were late, then later. With the power and hoses already ashore…we were sitting on a lifeless hulk that had to move before another ship came in. Word came down on the sound powered phones for all hands to man lines 3 and 5 and haul away. It took a while, but four thousand tons were hauled by fifty men sitting on the deck and tugging on a 5″ nylon line fore and aft. If I never have to do that again, it will be too soon; but for a few minutes our fragmenting crew came together again and accomplished something. Tending a line might seem old-fashioned, but I swear it connects a crew better than anything powered.
September 23rd, 2012 at 5:57 pm
Isn’t it fascinating that these vessels can carry so much weight aloft, plus all that breeze, and still have no deep keel to counter the momentum?
Happy sailing !
Alex
September 23rd, 2012 at 6:32 pm
But they have lots of form stability from all that waterline beam!
September 24th, 2012 at 3:31 am
Incredible pictures, thank you!
The power displayed in the first photo is unbelievable.
I think you have to see that with your own eyes to really grasp it.
November 10th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
We had the pleasure of sailing on the Heritage in the 1990’s with her co-Captains Douglas and Linda Lee, of Rockland, Maine. A wonderful experience and a very relaxing 6 days of sailing. If you can send them the pictures of them entering Rockland Harbor in a strong breeze at http://www.schoonerheritage.com/ I’m sure they would enjoy it. One of my fondest memories was short tacking the Heritage out of the Fox Narrows in Fog so thick we could barely see the bowspirt. Great seamanship by Capt’s Lee.
Regards
Patrick and Debbie Glazier