Jim Harkins among his store of nautical gear.

Working Waterfront

Captain Jim’s in Portland is maritime world’s back storeroom

It’s hard to get a fix on just what Jim Harkins has going in his Portland warehouse. Is it a nautical-themed flea market? A maritime museum? A high-end nautical antique store? A kind of Goodwill store for boat owners? Well, it’s all of the above. Harkins, 57, is a character… SEE MORE

Students hold a “blade” of kelp they’ve grown.

Working Waterfront

This teacher treats his students like research assistants

In his classroom at the Edna Drinkwater School in Northport, John Van Dis asks questions before he knows their answers. It’s an unusual approach for a teacher to take, but for a science teacher, it makes sense. Van Dis believes his grade 6 and 7 students should learn the way… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

An international trade deal that matters to Maine

The past four years have been rife with good news for the Maine lobster industry, as we’ve seen both the volume of the catch and prices paid to fishermen increase. In 2016, Maine lobstermen caught a record 130 million pounds for which they earned a record $533 million. Key to… SEE MORE

Students at the Landing School in Arundel

Working Waterfront

Boatyards: The jobs are waiting

This is the third and final installment in a three-part series about the role boat builders and boatyards play in Maine’s coastal and island economy. Boatyards and marinas provide more than 2,000 jobs and add over $1 billion a year to Maine’s coastal economy. They are blending tradition with… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Shrimp future remains cloudy

The continued closure of Maine’s shrimp fishery puts a strain on some of the state’s fishermen, but is having little impact on Maine’s restaurants, where the local seafood had been a winter favorite with customers. “It has not been a big impact on them because I think that restaurants, in… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A school for ‘that kid who just wants to work on the water’

There’s a lot of work to be done before it opens its doors, but Eric Jergenson likes to point out that the Maine Ocean School already exists. No, it’s not a figment of his imagination—the public, magnet high school was established by state law in the last legislative session. By… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Cranberry Isles approves deal to establish broadband

Another Maine island community moved to secure a high-speed internet future when Cranberry Isles voters supported a plan to borrow up to $1.2 million to establish a broadband network at their March 11 annual town meeting. The vote paves the way for the town to contract with the internet provider… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Hangover or happy hour? Boothbay region sorts out change

Sustaining economic vitality while maintaining small-town character is an ongoing struggle for Maine’s coastal communities. In the Boothbay region, this dynamic has its own flavor, in part because the towns continue to enjoy strong boatbuilding and fishing businesses, along with tourism, and in part because some of the changes in… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Launchpad program will help small business owners

The Island Institute’s economic development programming focuses on the idea that interlinked, strong and diverse businesses will make island and remote coastal communities not only sustainable, but help them thrive. We know that helping individual entrepreneurs succeed is a key way we can help enhance a strong coastal economy. With… SEE MORE

A fishing boat brings its catch to a buying station in Stonington.

Working Waterfront

Lobster catch at $533 million for 2016

Last year saw another record-setting catch, both in pounds and dollar value, for the Maine lobster fishery. The numbers, announced by the state’s Department of Marine Resources at the March 3 Maine Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport, included more than 130 million pounds, for which harvesters were paid $533 million. Including bonuses… SEE MORE