I was hove to enjoying lunch as it approached me to windward. Finally I recognized it was a local day charter boat. The HERON does day charters out of Rockport Maine in season. In November it heads off shore and sails to the Virgin Islands where it spends the winter doing the same day charter work.

I followed it and a few other local boats racing in the classic series during Antigua Raceweek. The HERON did quite well!

What impresses me is this is a family of four with two now teen aged girls. Not only do the husband (a boat builder and captain) and wife do all the maintenance on the boat, they built the 50 foot schooner themselves to Alden plans years ago.

I rowed into the docks an hour or two later, and the boat was put away in her regular berth. The family will have a break for a few days I suppose, and then their season begins in Maine.

If it weren't for all the jerry jugs that filled the cockpit and beyond, you could assume HERON was resting between daily 2 hour sailing tours.