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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 M AY 1 7 , 2 0 2 1 F O C U S S M A L L B U S I N E S S ROCKLAND Schooner J.&E. Riggin Captains Justin Schaefer and Jocelyn Schmidt bought the 120-foot schoo- ner J.&E. Riggin in February. Built in 1927, the schooner is homeported in Rockland and offers visitors multi-day sailing vacations. Schaefer grew up on New York's Long Island and Schmidt in Ohio. ey met while working on Rockland schooners and developed a plan to buy the Riggin. Business success was baked in: Under previous ownership, the Riggin was featured in dozens of national media outlets. "It's shaping up to be a pretty normal summer," says Schmidt. "ere seems to be a lot of interest in coming to Maine this year. We're getting reservations from folks who had to cancel trips abroad. We booked a family who had a trip planned to Scandinavia. ey said, 'We heard Maine has a rocky coast and a ord.'" Returnees are also booking. "ey're saying, 'I'm feeling much more confident about travel now,'" she says. "People don't seem to mind tak- ing precautions if it means they can get out of their house." e season starts late May with a private school charter. Specialty trips, like knitting and photography cruises, are filling up. ere's a wait list for a rug-hooking cruise. "ey sit on deck and knit or hook rugs while this beautiful scenery goes by," says Schaefer. e sentiment? Excitement. "e crews are back on the dock," says Schaefer. "We're seeing familiar faces that were quarantining or away for the winter." "If this is what a season looks like on the heels of a pandemic, then the future is bright," says Schmidt. FIND THE "YES!" YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. At Machias Savings Bank, we consider the businesses and organizations we serve to be a lot more than customers. You are our neighbors, families, and friends. That's why we work hard every day to help you fi nd your "YES!" At Machias, "YES!" means doing everything we can to encourage, empower, and enable you and your business to thrive. Contact us today to fi nd the "YES!" you're looking for. Machias Savings Bank. Machi YES! machiassavings.bank C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E ยป P H O T O / DAV E C L O U G H Captains Justin Schaefer and Jocelyn Schmidt bought the 120-foot passenger schooner J.&E. Riggin in February and are booking up quickly.