Tag Archives: Harpswell
Owner of sunken historic fishing boat leaking fuel off Maine’s coast has been charged
The owner of a sunken 80-foot-long fishing boat that’s sitting at the bottom of New Meadows River in Harpswell and leaking oil is now facing charges. The boat, the sardine carrier Jacob Pike, sank in Harpswell during January’s twin storms and record-high tides. The harbormaster hasn’t received a plan yet for raising and disposing of the sunken boat. The town is summonsing the boat’s owner, Cyrus Cleary, for the crime of abandonment of a watercraft, according to the harbormaster. more, >>click to read<< 06:12
Sunken Harpswell fishing boat leaking oil, owner needs to take action
An 80-foot-long fishing boat is sitting at the bottom of New Meadows River in Harpswell, and it’s causing concern. It’s been underwater for 51 days. Harpswell Harbormaster Paul Plummer says they don’t exactly know how it sunk, but it happened during the historic January storms. Plummer says the current owner needs to step up. “The owner of the ship is responsible for whatever happens,” Plummer said. That includes the fee of removing that boat from the water and towing it piece by piece. Photos, Video, more, >>click to read<< 11:24
Coastal rebuilding in ‘limbo’ as residents await answers
Bailey Island lobsterman and building contractor Guy Baker would like to rebuild the large wharf on his property that was torn to pieces in January’s coastal storms, but there are several unknowns. Nearly six weeks after back-to-back storms struck the Maine coast on Wednesday, Jan. 10, and Saturday, Jan. 13, the Harpswell resident still doesn’t know what sort of emergency funding he will receive, if any, to rebuild. He doesn’t know how long the town might give him to replace a generations-old structure that didn’t conform to current building codes. Baker doesn’t know what replacing the wharf would cost, or how long he’d have to wait for a specialty contractor to take on the job. He assumes prices have skyrocketed as property owners rush to repair millions of dollars’ worth of damage along the Maine coast. Baker isn’t alone. more, >>click to read<< 08:34
A sunken historic fishing boat is leaking fuel off Maine’s coast
Harpswell officials are working to raise a historic 83-foot fishing boat that’s been leaking oil in the New Meadows River after it was sunk by one of the twin storms that hit Maine’s coast in January. But it’s unclear who would pay for that work or how quickly it could happen. It’s also questionable whether a new owner would be able to save the boat once it’s recovered, although a relative of its original owner is making a longshot effort to do so. First built in 1949 by Newbert & Wallace in Thomaston, the Jacob Pike was a refrigerated vessel used to fish for and transport sardines. After the collapse of Maine’s sardine industry in the 1950s, the vessel was used to transport lobster, then pogies. more, >>click to read<< 09:30
January storms leave many working waterfronts in Maine adrift
Chris Hole watched in horror last month as the storm pummeled his family’s fishing business at Lookout Point in Harpswell. It was Jan. 13, and the second of two powerful storms in less than a week leveled Henry Allen’s Seafood, a lobster wharf, wholesaler and retailer. Strong winds and high tides wiped out the dock’s seawall, drowned new refrigeration units and flooded buildings with waist-high water. Guy Baker left his fish house on Bailey Island that day so he wouldn’t have to bear witness. When he returned, the building that had stood on the edge of Baker’s family property for more than 80 years had been reduced to a pile of rubble on the shore. Farther up the coast in the Washington County town of Milbridge, all but the supporting structure of Chipman’s Wharf floated away at high tide during the Jan. 10 storm. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 10:11
Collins vows to help rebuild Harpswell waterfront during visit
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, vowed to help secure funding to rebuild Harpswell’s storm-damaged working waterfront during a visit to the town on Saturday, Jan. 20. Collins, who visited Henry Allen’s Seafood on Lookout Point and two other heavily damaged sites on Bailey Island, called the destruction “heartbreaking.” “I want to do everything that I can to try to secure assistance, working with the governor, with the local community, with the rest of the (congressional) delegation, in order to assist these families in their time of need,” Collins said before a group of lobstermen and other waterfront workers and advocates during her visit. “The devastation is incredible.” phootos, more, >>click to read<< 07:15
Maine fishermen hope for relief after powerful storm damages wharfs, equipment
Much of Coastal Maine is now in a State of Civil Emergency after this week’s storm caused widespread damage up and down the coast. That announcement by Governor Janet Mills will mobilize resources for recovery but might also provide a bit of extra relief for Maine fisherman. Fisherman were hard hit by the storm. That damage is illustrated in Harpswell, where a lobsterman’s boat was washed up against the shore during Wednesday’s high tide. Thursday, fishermen in Harpswell were trying to secure and fix it before the boat would get hit by more winds and waves from Saturday’s storm. Video, photos, more,>>click to read<< 09:15
Harpswell fishing advocate battles winds of change
Harpswell resident Jerry Leeman III sits in an office chair at a dining room table with his father, Jerry Leeman Jr., on a nearby couch watching TV. In front of Leeman III is a laptop and a stack of studies and reports on a range of issues that could threaten the New England fishing industry. Leeman, like his father, used to be a commercial fisherman. Now he spends his days reading reports and constructing arguments against what he sees as challenges to the industry, while advocating for his fellow New England fishermen and their interests. Having recently harpooned the whale conservationists in court, the New England fishing industry’s current biggest threat, in Leeman’s view, is the advent of floating offshore wind power and its planned deployment along the New England coast. >>click to read<< 12:17
Harpswell Lobster Boat Races will pay tribute to young lobsterman who died in crash
The 31st annual Harpswell Lobster Boat Races hold special meaning this year as residents honor Mason Warren, a local lobsterman who died in a car crash at age 21 last October, by featuring his buoy colors on apparel that will be sold for charity on July 30. “Mason was like any young fisherman. He played hard but worked harder,” said Mary Coombs, a race volunteer. Coombs said Warren was a devoted friend, brother, son and lobsterman who volunteered with his family at the races over the years. This year’s races are set against the backdrop of the ongoing search for another young lobsterman, Tylar Michaud, 18, of Steuben, has been missing at sea for seven days. >click to read< 09:06
Harpswell Lobster Boat Races to honor young lobsterman who died in crash
This year’s Harpswell Lobster Boat Races will honor a young Harpswell lobsterman who died in a vehicle crash last fall by featuring his buoy colors on event merchandise, with proceeds going to a local charity. Mason Warren, 21, died in late October when he crashed his pickup truck on Mountain Road in Harpswell. No other vehicles were involved. Warren was a beloved member of the local lobstering community who died on the way to his boat, according to Amanda Peacock, a longtime committee member, apparel coordinator and treasurer for the races. “The color scheme of our shirts this year matches his buoy colors (blue, yellow and black) … in honor of him,” >lick to read< 08:41
Harpswell Lobster Boat Races draw a crowd at new location, with race results
Spectators crowded onto the waterfront at Mitchell Field and boats in Middle Bay on July 24 to watch the Harpswell Lobster Boat Races. There were 25 races this year, with boats divided into classes based on factors that include size and horsepower. The races moved to Middle Bay this year from Potts Harbor. According to Ashley Lenz, a member of the committee that organizes the races, the new location allows more people to watch from land, with a better view. >click to read< 10:29
Facing industry challenges, Harpswell Lobster Boat Races take center stage
Thousands gathered to unwind at the Harpswell Lobster Boat Races. “Today is a day for them to just kick back and relax,” said Mary Coombs, a committee member of the Harpswell Lobster Boat Races. Heats broken down by boat size, and cash prizes awaiting the winners. In 2020 the races were cancelled and last year weather dampened the festivities. “This year we moved it to Mitchell Field so we’ve got more space, more people can view it by land and there’s just more energy behind it,” said Coombs. Video, photos, >click to read< 10:14
Lobstermen take break from industry worries to race and ‘raise some hell’
Harpswell’s annual lobster boat race returns this Sunday, when Maine lobstermen and fishermen compete in a mile-long, full-throttle boat race for a chance to win a cash prize and bragging rights. “They want everybody else to see what their boats can do. They are all supportive, but competitive,” said race volunteer Mary Coombs. Coombs said the best part as a spectator is to see the lobstermen taking a break from their work and enjoying themselves. “It’s nice to see one day where they aren’t worried about whales, or lines and they just go,” said Coombs. “It’s fun to see them not in their oil gear, but in their bare feet behind the wheel.” >click to read< 08:24
Dennis R. Toothaker, U.S. Army Veteran, retired Maine lobsterman, has passed away
Dennis R. Toothaker passed away on July 6, 2021, at Maine Medical Center in Portland. He was surrounded by his family. Dennis was born on August 5, 1943, in Brunswick. Dennis attended Brunswick High School and received his diploma. He served in the United States Army. He went to Ranger School and drove tanks. He also did burial duty and guard duty while stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. He worked at Pejepscot Paper Mill. Dennis started lobstering at age nine. He was surprised at the age of 15 when Cliff Moody (due to illness) trusted Dennis to run his lobster boat for the summer. He enjoyed tuna fishing and caught two tunas in a skiff. He retired as a lobsterman. >click to read< 21:26
Harpswell Lobstermen Sound Off on Industry, Legacy
Lobstering brings nearly a half a billion dollars to the shores of Maine, according to the Department of Marine Resources. Harpswell is especially recognized for lobstering, and one local lobsterman estimates that there could be as many as 500 lobstermen and women residing in the town. “I learn something every day and to tell you that I know what the next move with the lobsters would be, I’d be lying,” said Jim Merryman, who has been a lobsterman since he was eight years old. “I’m constantly learning and trying to figure things out, if anybody ever tells you that I’ve got this figured out he’d be lying too.” Read the story here 12:16
Threat of federal penalty spurs Brunswick, Harpswell to consider raising shellfish license fees
Brunswick and Harpswell are proposing higher fees for commercial shellfishing licenses in an effort to pre-empt possible legal action by the U.S. Department of Labor. Requiring licensed harvesters to work on specific conservation projects each year isn’t new for many municipalities. But the DOL has warned that the practice violates federal labor laws. Read the rest here 10:45
