Music and Dancing with the Gawler Family Band

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Departures & Rates

May 22 - 26, 2026: 4-Day / 4-Night Adventure Per person: $1375

Ages 12+

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Boarding

Please note, we board every trip the evening of your chosen departure date between 5 and 6 p.m.

We will have you back at the dock before noon on the last day of your trip.

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The Cruise

This 4-day/4-night adventure will be full of toe-tapping music and contra dancing!

Joining your trip will be the legendary Gawler Family Band & Company for concerts, contra dancing, and an all-around good time. Whether the Gawler Family Band is crooning a poignant ballad or delivering a rollicking fiddle tune, their unique arrangements are especially engaging and often go along with anecdotes of historical or humorous content. John and Ellen Gawler and their daughters Molly, Edith, and Elsie bring you an assortment of old and new sounds from many folk traditions. They accompany interweaving family harmonies with fiddles, banjo, wooden banjo, cello, guitar, ukulele and piano as well as a few surprises.

Don’t forget to pack your dancing shoes!

The Hosts

The Gawler Family Band: Whether the Gawler Family Band is crooning a poignant ballad or delivering a rollicking fiddle tune, their unique arrangements are especially engaging and often go along with anecdotes of historical or humorous content. John and Ellen Gawler, their daughters, Molly, Edith, and Elsie and friends, Bennett Konesni and Ethan Tischler, bring you an assortment of old and new sounds from many folk traditions. They accompany interweaving family harmonies with fiddles, banjo, wooden banjo, cello, guitar, ukulele and piano as well as a few surprises.

The Ship

The J. & E. Riggin, a beautiful, historic two-masted schooner. She was designated a National Historic Monument in 1991. She is 89′ long on deck, 120′ overall, 23′ wide and draws 7′ with her centerboard up. She was built in 1927 as an oyster dredger and rebuilt for passenger sail in 1977.

The Riggin is fully equipped with GPS, radar, and radio. She meets all Coast Guard requirements for construction and safety equipment. Certified to carry passengers, she fully meets all requirements for stability and watertight integrity. The Riggin has no inboard engine. Her sixteen-foot diesel-powered yawl boat can be used during calm spells for maneuvering into or out of tight harbors.

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Includes

• All meals (excluding dinner on boarding night)
• Linens including fresh sheets, warm blankets, a quilt or comforter, pillows, and towels
• Locally made, small-batch soap
• Coffee (regular and decaf), tea, and hot chocolate
• Ice and an ice chest are available for passenger use
• Tickets to any concerts along the way (if applicable)

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Things to Note

• Sink with cold running water in each cabin
• Window that opens for fresh air and natural light
• A 12V outlet & 2 USB ports
• Reading light over each bunk
• Must be able to navigate a ladder and stairs
• Toilets (“heads”) are located above deck
• Hot freshwater shower available
• A non-smoking vessel
• There is a $20 per vehicle parking fee (covers the length of your trip)
• Gratuity is not included
• A Ship Store is available on board
• Alcohol is not included on this cruise; however, you are welcome to bring it with you