Working Waterfront

North Haven Mercantile selling island-made goods

Shopping options in downtown North Haven have expanded, thanks to two creative entrepreneurs. The North Haven Mercantile, a showcase for island-made goods, has opened its doors. The brainchild of Carrie Brezzo, the designer behind Able Jane Clothing (formerly CarrieSewFancy), and Laura Serino, a writer and the owner of Island Apothecary,… SEE MORE

A couple enjoy the Maine State Ferry Service boat ride past Owls Head light on the way to Vinalhaven.

Working Waterfront

Angry words exchanged at ferry board meeting

Tempers flared at the July 12 meeting of the Maine State Ferry Advisory Board about, ironically enough, angry ferry passengers. The board serves as a citizen advisory group, representing the interests of islanders before ferry service managers. The service is operated by the state Department of Transportation, and serves Frenchboro,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The search for topic leaves trail of island life

People sometimes ask me how I decide what to write about. Today, on deadline, I’ve got only a vague thought I had last week while picking up groceries after a trip to see my grandson in Baltimore. Maybe by trying to answer the question, I’ll be able to finish my… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Frenchboro couple built new lobster boat by kit

PHOTO: COURTESY KIM SMITH Andy Smith Frenchboro fisherman Andy Smith, his sternman Daniel Saxby, and local contractors were scrambling in late May to finish construction of Smith’s new Mussel Ridge 46 lobster fishing boat, Sylvia Mae. After all, Smith had already sold his previous boat, a Novi named Jacquelyn Mae, to a… SEE MORE

The Islesboro ferry lands on the island.

Working Waterfront

Planning for my apocalypse pantry

It isn’t the zombie apocalypse yet, but it’s a good dry run for one. My car-and-driver ticket on the ferry from Islesboro to Lincolnville went from $13.75 to $30. Fortunately, I never did have a need to go to the mainland all that often anyway, and when I did, the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Islands look to neighbors for survival

Island communities survive when they work together. I experienced this alongside leaders on Long Island in Casco Bay and in dialogue with the former president of Kiribati. Spend time on Long Island and you will have the sense that anything is possible. In June, the Island Institute held its board… SEE MORE

A kayaker explores one of the islands on the trail.

Working Waterfront

Shared mooring: Maine Island Trail, Island Institute born of same values

By Doug Welch The Maine Island Trail Association marks its 30th anniversary this month, and I believe it is important to look back at our roots and the organization that once spawned and still inspires us—the Island Institute. This story begins a “generation” before the Island Institute in the 1970s and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Dancing away the early spring cold

Sometimes, all it takes to warm back up is a little do-si-do. After a long, snowed-in winter and a chilly, damp spring, with the nearest restaurant opening still weeks away, North Haven kids and grownups were trudging along. Sunny days were few and far between, and it seemed that even… SEE MORE

Some of the bones still show evidence of flesh.

Working Waterfront

North Haven students, teacher rebuild minke whale skeleton

In August 2016, something unexpected washed up on a private beach in Wooster Cove on North Haven island—a whale carcass. PHOTO: JOE STONE The whale’s bones are dug out of a sand pile, where they’d been left to decay. Just what caused the minke whale, a young adult female, to… SEE MORE

Jennifer Helman and Dale Joyce are the new owners of the Harbor Watch Inn.

Working Waterfront

Swan’s Island motel has new owners

If you visit Swan’s Island for a weekend getaway, don’t expect much nightlife. Unless, that is, your idea of night life is a peaceful early evening stroll down a quiet road to the shore, or a short drive to the lighthouse to watch the sunset. For one thing, the sale… SEE MORE