MAINE BOATBUILDERS SHOW Page 21.
Schooner HERITAGE Celebrates 25 Years
ROCKLAND – There is a saying that if you schooner. She said, “What, are you crazy?
love your work you will never work a day in But later on I got to know him a little bit
your life. There are numerous people up and better and I went on the windjammer trip
down the coast that could fall into this that summer and we had a wonderful time.”
category, one being Captains Linda and She was hooked and they went again
Douglas Lee, owners of the schooner the following year for another week. In 1969
HERITAGE and part owner of the Northend they were married and Doug’s father gave
Shipyard in Rockland. the couple some shares in the RICHARD
This past season HERITAGE celebrated ROBBINS SR. as a wedding gift. It was
her 25
th
year in the windjammer fleet and is through this that they began learning about
still the youngest schooner in the trade. the Maine windjammer business and what
Captain Doug Lee added, “Nobody has to do and not to do. Doug sailed under
dared do it since. A lot of people are Captain George Allen, who taught him a lot.
interested in being in the business, and a lot Doug added, “He taught me a lot about
of talent has gotten in the business since, people, because he understood that this
but they’ve been able to buy an existing business was all about people and having a
vessel.” good time afloat. If you didn’t like the people
Doug grew up on the New Meadows you shouldn’t do this. There is a happy
The schooner HERITAGE sailing through the Deer Isle Stonington Thorofare.
River in West Bath. He said that his father marriage, love the people, love the vessel,
always had one old rotten wooden sailboat love the area, and you need all of them to be As they headed out of the Kennebec cruise. Linda said, “We had a wonderful
after another and that he sailed them all the successful.” on their way to Rockland they faced time, except no body could see us because
time when he was young. But how do you Doug did this while he was going to horrendous conditions at the mouth of the the whole first few weeks we sailed her it
go from small wooden sailboats to a big college and after he graduated he sat for his river. Linda added, “It was a nightmare. We was thick of fog. They also couldn’t talk to
schooner? captain’s license. He then ran the ROBBINS had no experience with the use of a yawl us because we had a new FM radio and
“I remember my father spent one winter as her captain for five years. However, Linda boat, and we had one for the EVANS. The everybody else still and the old AM radios.”
reading 1962 Merchant Vessel list,” added and he were looking for something bigger two fellows in it were screeching and had When the end of the season arrived they
Doug. “He went through the entire thing, and they headed to New Jersey where they life jackets on. needed to find a berth for the EVANS and
page by page, and copied out anything that found and purchased the schooner ISAAC Doug added, “They thought that they the RICHARD ROBBINS SR. They thought
was built before 1900. When he got done he H. EVANS in 1971. were going to drown, but the thing stayed of putting them on the face of the wharf in
had two lists. One was huge iron and steel Linda added, “I picked up all the gear I afloat. But the only reason we got out of the
Continued on Page 22.
tankers and the other was a whole slew of could possibly fit into that old pickup truck, Kennebec River was the tide pushed us right
schooners, many down on the Maurice River bought the vessel, and signed on as captain, out in spite of the wind. This was the first
in Southern New Jersey. He didn’t know because someone had to go to the Custom time this boat had ever had sail on her since
anything about this fleet, so he got in his House over in Atlantic City and sign on. I 1946.”
car and drove down there. There were about spent the next two weeks getting everything Linda added, “We lucked out a little bit
100 vessels all converted to power for the ready for the trip. Doug was working on the about getting out of the river because we
oyster fleet, and he ended up buying one ROBBINS, so he took a week off and we, didn’t have the knowledge on how to tighten
named the RICHARD ROBBINS SR., with along with Doug’s father and a few of his up the rig. So things were really slack. We
some friends, to put in the windjammer friends, brought her up the coast. So on our were in some terrific seas and the masts were
business on the coast of Maine.” second anniversary, August ’71; we were moving in the mast step. Water was also
The ROBBINS was brought up to Blue coming into the Kennebec River, because coming over the bow and pouring down into
Hill Bay where he, with the assistance of we were bringing her to Bath.” the galley.”
3-axis CNC machining
Captain George Allen of Brooklin, hauled her Linda took care of the EVANS, while Of course their trip from Seguin Island
Marine mill trim
out to work on. “I went down there and Doug finished up the season on the up the bay was in thick of fog. Doug stated,
worked on that on vacations along with ROBBINS. Then in October they hauled her
Teak & mahogany
“It is amazing how your senses improve
David Allen, George’s son, who was the out on the South Ways at the Percy & Small when you own the ship.”
Transom name boards
same age,” said Doug. “She was in pretty Shipyard in Bath, with the help of D8 They sailed into Tenants Harbor for the Custom teak handrails
tough shape, but they got her fixed up. They bulldozers. They then built a house around night, but had to tack all the way in because
Cabinet doors & drawers
didn’t have much money and they didn’t her, while they readied to rebuild her. Due to the propeller on the yawl boat was fouled
Table & counter tops
have much money in her. George would the amount of repairs they had to make the with a line. The next day they made Rockland,
scrounge around for this or that. I know that EVANS was not launched until 12 July two
Corian
removed all the tools from the cabins and 22
they needed a plank for the stern and George years later.” people came aboard that night for their first
Hardwood
said ‘what the hell this is a pretty good one,’ Meganite
it was the staging plank that they were
Swim platforms
standing on. Well they picked up, fitted it
New England Fiberglass Company
Teak or King Starboard
and put it in the stern and it was still there as
far as I know when they got rid of the
Experienced cabinetmakers
vessel.”
Yacht Repair/Restorations
& marine varnishers
As a reward for his assistance in helping
get the ROBBINS ready Doug was allowed
contact Gardner Pickering
to sail on board for a week, and he could 58 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
gardner@hewesco.com
bring a friend. At the time he was attending
(207) 773-3537 Phone (207) 874-7926 Fax
Blue Hill, Maine
Pratt Institute and that is where he met Linda,
www.nefiberglass.com email: newenglandfibe@conversent.net
207-374-2275
who he invited to go sailing with him on the
www.hewesco.com
120
SAIL REPAIR ✩ SAIL STORAGE
SAIL CLEANING ✩ SAIL HARDWARE
BATTENS ✩ RIGGINGS
P. O. Box 71, 15 Lincoln Street
East Boothbay, Maine 04544
Phone: 207-633-5071 · Fax: 207-633-5076
nswsails@gwi.net
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