Tag Archives: Southwest Harbor
Maine fishermen look to rebuild higher after harbors took ‘a real beating’
Working waterfront property owners along the entire Maine coast witnessed destruction as extreme winds and storm surge flooded buildings, set some adrift and tore docks apart. Some already are planning to rebuild — with sturdier and maybe higher piers in mind as they consider the future — but it’s too early to tell how long it will take and how much it might cost. Commercial lobster docks where fishermen offload and sell their catch were damaged in Milbridge, Corea, Southwest Harbor, Stonington and New Harbor, to name a few places. photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:07
A one-two punch – Lobster prices reach pre-pandemic cost
It’s more unwelcoming news for lobstermen and women the price of soft shell lobster has dropped to pre-pandemic levels. Beal’s Lobster Pier dock manager Justin Snyder says its a one-two punch for lobstermen. “What’s really affecting them is the increase in costs in everything else, so the lobster prices have fallen back to normal, but everything else is just as expensive bait and fuel mostly,” said Snyder. Not only is inflation a primary reason, but Snyder said it also has to do with supply and demand. “We’re seeing a reduction in the demand compared to last year. We’re in the high supply part of the lobster season. If the demand is not there and there’s no more supply, the lobster prices are going to go down,” Video, >click to read< 17:14
Fisherman’s lobster boat sinks in Southwest Harbor
Wednesday, Dec. 22, was a disappointing day for local fisherman Nahum Kelley. It was the day that his lobster boat sank in Southwest Harbor. On Monday morning, Curry had Charles Bradley Marine Construction use its barge to salvage the boat, which was still on its mooring in Southwest Harbor. The boat was then brought to the Hinckley Company boatyard, where it was removed with a travel lift. >click to read< A GoFundMe has been set up, Kelly Family Support Fund, >click here<, and please, donate if you can!
Challenges abound, but lobstermen say they’re in it for the long haul
Around 2 a.m. each morning, a parade of trucks from around the region begins the journey down to the Stonington docks, marking the start of another day of lobstering in Maine. In short, a large part of coastal Hancock County and beyond depend on lobster. One of the locals that has made her living off lobster is Julie Eaton, a member of Stonington’s 300-plus lobster boat fleet. She’s been at it for 39 years now and to her it’s not just a job, it’s a way of life. Every fisherman has their own story, but almost all of them say they got into the business because they love working on the ocean. 
For the hundreds of lobstermen in the region, things are going pretty well at the moment, even with the pandemic. While things are going well, if you talk to almost any Downeast lobstermen about the future of their industry, the conversation will come to two things: right whales and wind turbines. >click to read< 13:28
The women behind the sardine factories of Southwest Harbor
“It was guaranteed employment,” Corliss said, “You didn’t need an interview. “And it was really good money back then. If you were a fast packer, you could get more than the [standard] hourly wage. A lot of people would earn money for school clothes in the fall.”,, Sardines are in the herring family. When the fish were schooling, fishing crews would go out and haul in. When boats were out fishing, the factory whistle would blow to let people in town know to get ready to work, Corliss said. more, photo’s, >click to read< 18:05
State stops Mainer from sedating lobsters with marijuana smoke before being cooked
State regulators have put a halt to a Maine restaurant owner’s experiment of sedating live lobsters with marijuana smoke before they are cooked, at least for now. Charlotte’s Legendary Lobster Pound in Southwest Harbor is getting some of its lobsters high before cooking them,,, Gill, a registered medical marijuana caregiver, said Saturday that she was working to change her procedure after a “technicality under the Maine Medical Use Program and a remark from the health department.” The Maine Health Inspection Program was investigating, Emily Spencer, a spokeswoman with the Department of Health and Human Services, said Saturday. She said the state was also looking into whether the medical marijuana was being used appropriately. >click to read<21:54
Andy Mays of Southwest Harbor – Scallop Diver for Life
It’s winter on Mount Desert Island. Temperatures are just above 20 degrees, and tomorrow a nor’easter will blow snow sideways into drifts. But today the sun is out, and the wind is about nil. That’s good, because we’re on the deck of a fishing boat at the mouth of Somes Sound, and diver Andy Mays is suited up and sitting on the deck rail. With an air tank on his back and a couple of mesh bags, he’s about to drop into the frigid water to dive for scallops.,,,It was February in the 2015 scallop season, a few weeks before the annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum in Rockland. Just about everyone in the industry gathers for the marine trade show, Mays explains, to check out the latest fishing gear, socialize, and talk about fishery issues before the busiest months of lobster season. But he wasn’t feeling well in the months before the forum,,, A great article about a great guy, that faced a life altering event head on. Some great images, and I recommend reading his story! Click here to read 15:18
Retired boat builder turns his attention to fiddles, genealogy
Between 1946 and 2003, Ralph Stanley built, rebuilt or co-built 70 wooden boats of various designs, including lobster boats, Friendship sloops, sailboats and dories. In 1999, he won a National Heritage Fellowship Award in the area of Folk and Traditional Arts, ,,, Read more here 09:31
