“We’ve got all day; we’re pretty relaxed,” said captain Julie Brown Eaton as we steam away from her Stonington harbor mooring aboard her 33-year-old 30-foot Repco. An understatement if ever there was one: unlike those fishermen who insist on being on the water by dawn, she left the dock on this perfect June day at
Jack Elliot: remembering a “Swift Boater” from Thomaston, Maine
Arthur “Jack” Elliot was killed 40 years ago on Dec. 29, 1968, at the age of 35. A fifth generation native of Thomaston, Lieutenant Commander Elliot was leading a PBRs (Patrol Boat River) squadron when he was hit by a B-40 rocket, which killed him instantly. PBR’s or “Swift Boats” had a shallow draft, which
From the Deck
On a warm summer afternoon, Mr. Alfred West, among several other sightseers from away, stood on the co-op wharf watching the two “quaint” lobster boats lying alongside the lobster car below. A faint smell of salt bait pervaded the scene. The boats were each about 30 feet long with high, sharp bows, a little coop
The Sloop from Bucks County, PA
Forty-five years ago Peter Sellers was a young mathematics professor with a dream. Specifically, he wanted to build a boat with the lines of a Friendship sloop. The project would combine two of Peter’s favorite activities. As a youth, he loved the small boat sailing he had done during summers spent on the New Jersey
Ice cream (and groceries) return to Matinicus
Going for an ice cream on Matinicus Island is no longer just a bit of wishful thinking. On July 9 at 11 a.m. a line had already formed outside the door of the new Matinicus Island Store located, as it says on the signs, “at Aunt Belle’s.” Islanders who have been waiting for many months
Fuel prices affect everything, even salt
Everyone knows salt is basic to life, but probably not many people think about where it comes from and how it gets to the table, the road or the bait box. Ivan McPike does. In fact, while there are other salt dealers in the state, he’s the only processor of salt for bait in Maine.
Residents wary of proposed inn on Great Diamond Island
A proposal to build a luxury hotel condominium at Diamond Cove has raised concern among some Great Diamond Islanders who say the development would tax the islands’ already strained resources and diminish residents’ quality of life. The proposed Inn at Diamond Cove would be built at Fort Mckinley’s Double Barracks and Hospital buildings, a property
Two Portland islands could lose polling places
When the City of Portland’s fiscal year ends on June 30 it could mark the end of polling places on Cliff Island and Great Diamond Island. This is part of a $15,000 cost savings effort that will be voted on by the Portland City Council on July 21. The proposal to reduce the number of
Two Portland islands could lose polling places
When the City of Portland’s fiscal year ends on June 30 it could mark the end of polling places on Cliff Island and Great Diamond Island. This is part of a $15,000 cost savings effort that will be voted on by the Portland City Council on July 21. The proposal to reduce the number of
Time to think differently
The announcement in mid-June that the Bush administration would ask Congress to lift the current restrictions on offshore oil drilling was yet another reminder of how out-of-touch this country’s leaders continue to be on energy policy. Forget the fact that drilling wells on the Outer Continental Shelf won’t do a thing to lower gasoline prices