Working Waterfront

Portland’s Seafarers Friend center offers a respite for mariners

Like a friend welcoming his buddies home after a long voyage at sea, Jasper DelCarlino greets the crew members of virtually every working ship that arrives in the port of Portland. With his beaming smile, DelCarlino boards the steady flow of cargo ships and oil tankers, giving seafarers snack bags… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

State awards funds and seeks proposals for coastal projects

The Maine Office of Community Affairs’ (MOCA) Maine Coastal Program (MCP) and Municipal Planning Assistance Program (MPAP) are accepting applications for approximately $450,000 in coastal planning grants through Aug. 31. Awards of up to $50,000 for individual applicants and $75,000 for group applicants will support local or regional planning projects that prepare coastal communities… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Shearing North Haven sheep is a community affair

For North Haven farmer Becky Bartovics, the secret to blue ribbon-winning fleece is multifaceted. Some of the magic might come from the salt air and cooler summers. The sheep’s Coopworth genetics, a particularly auspicious Leicester/Romney cross, certainly play a role. But the real star player is the shearing day itself,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Casco Bay islands team up on erosion

If you live on or near an island shoreline in the Casco Bay region, you may have already heard about a local group of volunteers who have been working hard to raise awareness about coastal erosion and related climate vulnerabilities to our islands. This collaborative group now includes representatives from… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Islesford Boatworks holds special programs to celebrate 20th anniversary

This summer marks the 20th year of Islesford Boatworks, a community-based nonprofit on Little Cranberry Island that teaches traditional wooden boatbuilding to all ages. Throughout the summer, it will be running special programs and events to celebrate this milestone, culminating in its first ever Blue Duck Derby on Aug 1.… SEE MORE

Community

Working Waterfront

Nothing more expensive than a free boat

Last summer I finally succumbed to sailboat ownership after decades of heroic resistance. I’ve sailed my whole life, but always on boats owned by other people, which is the best kind of boat. I had just returned to the island after months hiking the Appalachian Trail in the claustrophobically forested… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

‘Big Jim,’ an iconic Maine sign, finds temporary new home

Big Jim isn’t what he once was. At least for now. The iconic 40-foot tall sign that once welcomed visitors to Maine in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and later towered over the Stinson Canning plant in Prospect Harbor, is lying in a paint shed at Belmont Boatworks this… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Love and art: a gift to Monhegan

This summer the Monhegan Museum of Art & History’s special show features an extraordinary gift: 91 artworks by some of the greatest artists associated with the island. To Monhegan, With Love: The Susan Bateson and Stephen S. Fuller Collection represents what museum director Jennifer Pye in the exhibition catalog calls… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Creating a bigger table

I’ve been thinking about tables lately. My father passed away in February after living his 96 years fully and generously. Creating a big table was his superpower. Everyone was welcome, and his table seemed to grow larger as he grew older. At 90, he reluctantly agreed to let us host what he insisted… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Matinicus refreshes its power generation

Since summer 2025, Matinicus Island’s municipally owned electric utility has powered homes and businesses using a 160kW solar array, two new Perkins diesel generators, and a “hybrid supercapacitor” battery energy storage system. Matinicus, easily 20 miles offshore from Rockland, first offered grid-style electricity to homeowners in the mid-1960s, when our… SEE MORE