For what seems like forever, my dad and stepmom have been sailing off the coast of Maine for a week each summer. This year, their 10th trip, they finally brought us along. Dad, Annie (stepmom), Alex (husband), Casey (sister), Melanie (friend), and I all packed our duffles and boarded the Schooner Heritage in Rockland at the end of July. We sailed for six days with 24 other passengers, five crew members, and two captains. We hauled lines, chopped vegetables, hosed the anchor, furled sails, listened to stories, watched for porpoises and seals, made new friends, climbed aloft almost to the top of the mast, drank lots of coffee, and tied many knots (among so many things!).

It’s hard to convey the beauty of a schooner in words, but, I assure you, the Heritage is a stunning vessel. The following photographs hardly do the experience justice.

These last two photos are from the last morning of the trip when I climbed aloft. My sister snapped these and I’m glad she did – being atop the mast, 70ish feet in the air was an absolutely amazing experience. I’d have stayed up there all day if I could’ve.

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More of my photos here. The Heritage has a detailed website with everything you could wish to know about the vessel and her captains.