Working Waterfront

Yes, the rain hurt Maine tourism

During the rainy months of June and July, Aaron Lincoln, captain and owner of the schooner Olad and the cutter Owl out of Camden Harbor, would run into people he knew at the local grocery store. “People were giving me condolences like my dad had died,” he said. “I realized… SEE MORE

Little River Light off Cutler in Washington County.

Working Waterfront

Honoring Maine’s immovable beacons

Lighthouse keeper Willie Corbett knew Velma Johnson was the woman for him when she arrived for a visit in a bosun’s chair strung between a ship’s mast and the island holding Saddleback Ledge Light. “He thought, ‘If she can handle this, she can handle anything,’” laughs his granddaughter, Delia Mae… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Almer Dinsmore honored with ferry name

Living on an unbridged island like Swan’s Island, I knew about the tradition of naming ferries in honor of previous, long-serving captains like our very own Henry Lee and others like Richard Spear and Neal Burgess. When I heard a friend of mine had just been bestowed that honor, I… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The joys and spills of medical care

What a ridiculous garment a hospital johnny is. A few months ago, I was found to have cancer of the liver. I was sent to the Pen Bay Emergency Room to have tests done. At the end of a full day of echocardiograms, MRIs, and so forth, of wandering from… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

On the record with… Cliff Island lobsterman Teddy Reiner

A chance encounter on Cliff Island, six miles off Portland in Casco Bay, led to a conversation that yielded rich history about lobstering in the 1970s. It started while I was scoping out the island trash and treasures that depart in early June as the “large item” pickup. Edward Reiner,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Buying a house is still your best investment

The path to homeownership can be bumpy. Buyers must withstand bidding wars, contingencies, complex tax laws, and an array of market factors beyond most anyone’s control. Still, buying a house is typically the single best investment a family can make. Homeownership is the largest source of wealth creation in the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Deer Isle’s bounty impresses this Iowan

Reflections is written by Island Institute Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. For me, the magic of Maine lies in the food—everything we fish, forage, and farm to feed each other.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Architecture for the way we live

Our recent vacation trip to Wellfleet on Cape Cod offered many pleasant diversions—ocean swimming, long walks on sandy beaches on both the ocean and bay sides, and enjoying the quiet vibe of that small New England village. For me, a perennial joy of these visits is taking in the beauty… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Feds provide Maine with broadband funds

The Maine Connectivity Authority was awarded $30 million in federal funding from the Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure grant. This investment is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will support Maine’s strategic goal of providing universal broadband access throughout the state. “As one of the most rural states in the… SEE MORE

A trio of fish houses and piers on Barleyfield Point, a rocky peninsula that juts out into Lowell’s Cove, Orr’s Island. A lawsuit by one of numerous shareholders seeks to force the others to sell their interest in the property. PHOTO: J.W. OLIVER

Working Waterfront

Battle over working waterfront on Orr’s Island

The numerous co-owners of a sliver of working waterfront on Orr’s Island, which has been treated as a public amenity for generations, may have to sell their shares soon if one of them prevails in court. A lawsuit filed by part-owner John E. “Jack” Sylvester Jr. that seeks to force… SEE MORE