Working Waterfront

Where on the coast?

Can you identify this week's "mystery harbor"? Here's a hint: It's most certainly on an island. If you think you know the answer, email us at: whereonthecoast@gmail.com. We'll send a copy of the 2015 Island Journal to the first five to correctly identify the island. SEE MORE

Maine Maritime Academy vessels docked at the campus in Castine.

Working Waterfront

Winter training cruise imparts laptop lesson

People who are not accustomed to living on the water and on the high seas are often painfully aware of the slightest motion a boat or ship makes. Just look for the gray or green pallor on their faces and the expression that says, “Are we there yet?” And those… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

It’s all part of the deal

One weekend in January, my husband went away for an Island Institute conference. I planned a fun girls night dinner with a friend and my daughter, with calzones and homemade cookies and ice cream on the agenda. Midway through calzone making, my daughter, who had been running around moments before,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Seasonal ‘disorder vs. order’ conflict rears its head

I like the feeling of island living when the holidays are over and the new year has just begun. My husband Bruce has all of his lobster traps out of the water and his boat, the Barbara Ann, has been hauled out at a nearby mainland boatyard since the end of… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine Seacoast Mission stays modern, reaches eastern coast

Think of it as a floating community center. Hot coffee and a hearty breakfast are still served aboard Sunbeam V, the Maine Seacoast Mission's 75-foot long vessel which provides hospitality and fellowship to those living on Maine's Midcoast and Downeast islands. That part of the mission's story has been told… SEE MORE

The Islesboro ferry as seen from the Grindle Point Lighthouse.

Working Waterfront

Islesboro, Chebeague study high water impacts

High waters, whether from storm surge, rising sea levels or both, can cause costly damage to the coast. On islands, those high seas can have even more impact, damaging essential infrastructure and even leaving residences cut off from island resources and the mainland. That's why the state, through its Maine… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Vinalhaven’s maritime work remembered in photo

If books about Vinalhaven’s history were acorns, then readers could squirrel away some volumes now to enjoy over winter hibernation. One of those acorns could be a recently published book of photographs, Vinalhaven Island’s Maritime Industries, part of the “Images of America” series from Arcadia Publishing. Cynthia Burns Martin, a… SEE MORE

One of the tubs Steve and Miranda Batiste craft at their Swan's Island business.

Working Waterfront

The lap of luxury is water in a wooden tub

In Steve and Miranda Batiste’s home in Vermont was an old claw-foot, cast iron bathtub. It was something to look at but when in use left much to be desired. The heat radiated right out of the cast iron. Tired of chilly baths, the couple decided to resurrect an idea… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Islands lag in Internet speeds, hampering economic growth

Internet speeds for Maine's year-round island communities are hampering economic growth and even threatening their long-term viability, a report issued Dec. 9 asserts. The 200-page report by Tilson Technology followed extensive study of current Internet speeds on 14 islands: the Cranberry Isles (Islesford, Great Cranberry and Sutton), Vinalhaven, North Haven,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Going the distance against Parkinson’s

Editor's note: This story first appeared in Breaking Through, the annual report of the MDI Biological Laboratory, and is used here by permission. Michael Westphal is a native of Great Cranberry Island. Michael Westphal is a born athlete. All through high school and college, he ran competitively—track and cross country—and… SEE MORE