Transportation on Maine’s islands ranges from shanks’ mare to bicycles to automobiles that haven’t seen a current inspection sticker in years. An ongoing problem has been how to get around our islands safely, economically and comfortably and without destroying our fragile ecosystems. Chebeague Island may not have solved the problem, but later this year at
One smart-looking workboat: East Boothbay yard adds another tug to the Moran fleet
At precisely the time of high tide on May 24, the tugboat LEE T. MORAN will slip into the Damariscotta River at East Boothbay for the first time. At 92 feet, with 5,100 horsepower and 136,000 pounds of pulling power, she will be the pride of the growing fleet of tugboats owned by Moran Towing
Sue Inches promotes value-added seafood
As Director of Industry Development for the Department of Marine Resources, Sue Inches has logged thousands of miles to stay in touch with the seafood processors, wharf owners and other seafood businesses scattered along Maine’s very long coastline. She feels it would be impossible for her to fulfill her job’s mission to support shoreside development
Chalkboard artist leaves boatbuilding legacy
At the Boat School in Eastport the work of a former teacher hangs reverently on the wall in front of the marine drafting and design classroom: a large chalk drawing on a chocolate brown blackboard. The drawing was rendered by Ernie Brierley who joined the faculty when the school was operating in the former Coast
New census figures show island changes
Great Diamond Island in Casco Bay has nearly tripled its year-round population over the last decade, while most of Maine’s smaller islands have lost residents. While increase in real numbers is relatively small, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau figures, the steady growth of Great Diamond’s population puts it on par with Cliff Island,
Forces of Nature
Try as we might to forget or ignore them, natural forces will inevitably assert themselves, a reminder that we humans aren’t always as important as we think we are. A drought has lowered wells, reservoirs and water tables in much of the eastern United States, including islands. Fresh water supplies on islands being limited anyway
Terrorism in Portland, 1775
On October 17, 1775, Lieutenant Henry Mowatt of the Royal Navy with four ships burned the town of Portland, then called Falmouth. There seemed to be no immediate military necessity for this act, and although there had been skirmishes at Concord and on Bunker Hill, there had been no declaration of independence and no declaration
Down and Out, and Counting
Sometimes I drift. My mind wanders, travels – compulsively, frequently, spontaneously and of its own accord – to a familiar and nearby place where it busies itself counting and averaging, arranging and cataloging. The condition has been diagnosed as Attention Deficit Disorder, but it’s hardly disorderly. My mind tidies up and organizes the clutter perceived
Cranberry Report: The Many Varieties of the Moon
Jan. 5, Saturday: Temp. 38, wind WSW 15 knots at noon. Morning clear. P.M. cloudy. This is our quiet season on the island and usually will stay so until the lobstermen start setting out traps in April, sometimes in March if we have a mild one. Not many boats on the moorings here now. Some
Mud and Maple Sugar
April is the cruelest month. It is also the stickiest. Between mud season and the last gallon of boiling sap humming on the kitchen stove, my kitchen is a mess. No wonder God invented spring cleaning. Of course, if we weren’t having a drought the mud would be a sight worse than it is. Wondering