Several times while interviewing residents of Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island regarding the burgeoning cruise ship visitation in Bar Harbor, I heard the expression “Progress is good” and then the proviso would follow, “I guess.” The vote is still a bit early for an absolute “yea or nay.”
“For instance,” replies Christopher Fogg, director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, “the cruise ship business has enabled restaurants and shops that would have ordinarily closed just after Columbus Day to remain open until the end of October. There was a study done of the dollar impact of cruise ships in Portland. The average passenger stays on shore about 11 hours during the ship’s stay and will spend on average $101. We’re now averaging 150,000 passenger visits a year, which translates to $15 million brought into Bar Harbor’s economy every year. And, this does not take into consideration visitation by crew members (ratio on ships is 1 crew to 3 passengers) or the fact that the ships occasionally have to replenish food and drink. We also have anecdotal information from the information offices that passengers often return to Bar Harbor for longer stays, wanting to see more of the area than the one day ship visit allowed.”
In 1989, with the visit of the venerable “Grande Dame” of cruise ships, the Queen Elizabeth 2 (or QE2 as she is known), an idea was sparked to solicit the other six or so cruise lines to include Bar Harbor in their summer/fall itineraries.
By 2000, according to Bar Harbor Harbormaster Charles Phippen, there were 39 visits. This year, the number has grown to 120 scheduled visits. Looking at these numbers, it’s an interesting fact to note that passengers on three ships at anchorage exceed the population of Bar Harbor.
I mentioned to Mr. Phippen that with this increased activity, his position on the waterfront must have taken on several new responsibilities and challenges. “It’s not so bad,” he replied, We can accommodate two to three large ships at a time within the confines of the harbor. This does create a fair amount of congestion with the ships tenders running back and forth ferrying passengers. Also, under Homeland Security law we now have to provide a secure place to load and unload passengers, and we’ve been able to do this in partnership with Harbor Place, a private dock/marina/shop. “Harbor Place,” he went on to say, “can accommodate two tenders at a time, and if more space is required, we have the option of sending them to Harborside Hotel and Marina just up the harbor.”
“What about the effects of the large ships traveling through fishing waters?” I asked.
“Well,” He replied, “All foreign-flagged ships coming into a U.S. port must have a local pilot. For Bar Harbor, the pilots are supplied by the Penobscot Bay River Pilots Association, the same group that handles the oil tankers coming into Searsport. We have established ship lanes coming in from the open ocean, and I notify the lobster fishermen of scheduled traffic. Also, we have defined anchorages and swing room for the ships where traps should not be set.”
One of the problems created by the cruise ship visits has been the ensuing congestion of traffic around the wharf area and its large parking area. “In 2007,” Mr. Fogg says, “The Bar Harbor Destination Management Planning Committee released a study which recommended, among other things, staging areas for buses and more information staff on the ground, as well as the formation of a cruise ship committee. This has worked out quite well, and has done a lot to get the community behind and involved in the attraction of the cruise ships. Bar Harbor is now on the list of World Class Destinations and we are working together to enhance that image.”
Mr. Fogg went on to say, “There’s also another direct benefit to the town in the form of port fees collected from cruise ship visits to benefit our infrastructure support. With this additional revenue, (reputed to be some $750,000) we’ve been able to construct new washrooms and other projects.
Karen Zimmerman Smith, owner of Z-studios, whose business derives little or no income from the ship traffic, remarks she finds it rather exciting, listening to the different languages, seeing different nationalities and the people flooding the streets. “Sort of gives Bar Harbor an international flair,” she says.
Then I called long-time lobster fisherman and Bar Harbor resident Perley Fogg, (no relation to Christopher Fogg) for his take regarding the ship traffic and effect on the waterfront. I wasn’t quite prepared for his immediate reply.
“I hate them”
“May I quote you on that?”
“Yes, absolutely,” and he went on to say, “The working waterfront is a mess. Traffic is one-way. You can’t get near the town pier for the congestion. People used to walk down and sit and watch the harbor. Impossible now. Bar Harbor isn’t set up for this business. The smallest cruise ship port in Mexico is more professional than Bar Harbor. I hate it. When there’s two ships in, Cyr’s bus lines have as many as 22 buses lined up waiting to take passengers for a tour of the Park (Acadia). You simply cannot get around.”
I asked him about the effects of the ships coming through the outer islands into Bar Harbor and his immediate answer was, “It’s a disaster for us fishermen. When it’s foggy or the wind is blowing, the ships tend to stray outside the designated channel. And,” he went on to explain, “because these ships are so huge and have so much windage, with higher wind they have to “crab” at an angle taking up more than the channel so they wipe out thousands of dollars of our gear all the way out to the Cranberries (islands).”
“Then, later in the season when we’re really catching lobsters in the upper bay (Anchorage B) and there are two ships in, we have to move our gear out. I hate them. There are around 25 of us lobstering in Frenchman’s Bay and we’re told “Move em’ or lose em’. This is prime area for us in the best fishing time of the year and we have to get out.”
“And another thing,” Perley says, “When the ships tenders disembark or embark passengers at Harbor Place, they leave the tenders in gear with engines revving and the propeller wash carries over into the boats and dinghies tied up there and swings and thrashes them something wicked. Now these are people who may live on Frenchman’s Bay or MDI coming to spend the day in Bar Harbor, or folks cruising. The whole situation is a mess.”
“Is there a solution?,” I ask.
“Yes,” He replies, “Bite the bullet and buy the old Bluenose Ferry Terminal. Move the ships and traffic up there. Run shuttles into town. Acadia National Park entrance is right there and that’s what most of these passengers want to see anyway. It would be expensive, but I think the town needs to look at the long-term picture and become professional if it wants to stay in the cruise ship business. And, we could get our town back.”
Lee Wilbur is a freelance writer based on Mount Desert Island.