Working Waterfront

The woman behind the ‘hidden’ food

Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story Remaking a Life From Scratch By Erin French You’ve probably heard of Erin French. She started off in Belfast hosting “secret suppers” in her apartment, and then moved into the space downstairs which she turned into a restaurant. With the loss of that in a… SEE MORE

The former pilot boat before being refitted.

Working Waterfront

Island freight business finds its Northern Star

Even before the pandemic, online ordering made getting goods shipped to Swan’s Island and Frenchboro increasingly attractive—often more so than heading off for a trip to mainland stores. The past year of sheltering in place accelerated that trend. Who handles all that freight? Brian and Kathy Krafjack, who own The… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Yes, it is a pretty great bay

I just learned that our world’s oceans have their own day, and it’s June 8, the day I am writing this column. But I want to bring us closer to home. For our 2021 Island Journal publication, which prints soon after this newspaper begins circulating, I wrote about Penobscot Bay,… SEE MORE

Visitors line up to board Diver Ed's boat in Bar Harbor.

Working Waterfront

Starfish Enterprise will sail from new, more easterly port

Too many people ashore and not enough animals under the water have forced one of Mount Desert Island’s most popular tourist attractions to move its operations this summer from Bar Harbor to Eastport on Passamaquoddy Bay. [caption id="attachment_26187" align="alignleft" width="350"] Diver Ed kisses a crab.[/caption] Ed Monat, universally known as… SEE MORE

An aerial view of Southwest Harbor Boat Yard. PHOTO: JACK SULLIVAN

Working Waterfront

Saving a Southwest Harbor anchor

Jeff and Audrey Berzinis have no firm conclusions on how to do it. But they know one thing—they want to preserve the working waterfront nature of their Southwest Harbor property for future generations. The Berzinises are the long-time owners of Southwest Boat, a marine services yard with multiple buildings, wharf,… SEE MORE

CAPTION: Friends of Casco Bay staff scientist Mike Doan launches a new continuous monitoring station in Harpswell. See story inside. PHOTO: COURTESY FRIENDS OF CASCO BAY

Working Waterfront

Friends of Casco Bay expands water monitoring

The Friends of Casco Bay has added two continuous water quality monitoring stations in the east and west sides of the bay. On March 31, the nonprofit advocacy group’s staff scientist Mike Doan launched a new station in Cundy’s Harbor, Harpswell. The second new station was launched in Portland Harbor… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Navigating change—Cultivating resilience in fisheries, coastal communities

Although there are several ongoing programs that monitor the status of the lobster population in Maine, no equivalent system exists to understand the status of the fishery itself, and of those who work within it. In a new project led by Joshua Stoll, assistant professor of marine policy and fellow… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine should lead when it comes to recycling

More than 30 years ago, Maine set out to recycle or compost 50 percent of our waste annually. Today, we're not even close to achieving that goal. We're going backwards, according to a new report from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Just under 38 percent of our waste was… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol begins new chapter

PHOTOS BY MICHELE STAPLETON This spring, the historic Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol began a new chapter under new ownership. The three new owners—Mike Tatro, John Vinal, and Carol Morrison—closed on the purchase from Rory Cowan in March. The three have been working at the yard—Tatro and Morrison for about… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Machias dike project raises sea level, fish concerns

The Maine Department of Transportation is moving forward with plans to replace the 90-year-old dike and bridge that carries Route 1over the Middle River in Machias, but new concerns will mean a more careful consideration. Late in March, the department held a virtual public meeting to explain and solicit public… SEE MORE