MAINE MARITIME BLOG POSTS

Following are the scheduled 2022 Maine Lobster Boat Races. Check the weather / schedule is subject to change. For the latest update, CLICK HERE

On June 4, 2022 a celebration to commemorate the re-launch of the Maine’s First Ship reconstruction of the pinnace Virginia took place. The original Virginia was the first English ocean-going ship built in the new world. Construction was begun in 1607 and she was launched in 1608 at Fort St George in what is now Phippsburg Maine. The ship was designed to explore the region then called Sagadahoc in north Virginia, and now called Midcoast Maine, and to show it was possible to build a ship using local materials. For more information about this amazing reconstruction or to plan your visit, please visit: https://mfship.org/

Wyoming was a wooden six-masted schooner built and completed in 1909 by the firm of Percy & Small in Bath, Maine. With a length of 450 ft (140 m) from jib-boom tip to spanker boom tip, Wyoming was the largest known wooden ship ever built.

Date: Thursday, August 15, 2019 Time: 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm Castine Historical Society 13 and 17 School Street Castine, Maine 04421 Phone: (207) 326-4118 Email: info@castinehistoricalsociety.org Shipyards and a dozen active wharves once stood along Castine Harbor, and at least eighteen square-rigged ships were built here. Chandleries and sailmakers on Water and Sea Streets outfitted schooners and square-riggers amidst the smell of tar and fish and wood.  Castine merchants and shipowners ran an active but high-risk business from 1820 to 1860, and many of the houses in Castine were built from the profits from world-wide voyages. You are invited to join us in reading and discussing one of the two books on which the current exhibit is based and to immerse yourself in this fascinating marine history. The discussions will be moderated by Jill Schoof and Alice Alston and curator Paige Lilly will also be on hand. Both books are for sale at the Castine Historical Society Gift Shop or may also be ordered online at castinehistoricalsociety.org.   August 15:  We will discuss Richard Ames’ book, Risky Business: A Maine Village Goes Global, 2019. Eighteen square-rigged ships built on Castine’s waterfront in the 19th century is the focus of Richard Ames’ well-researched book, […]

Join an adventure by land and sea exploring the legends and lore of lighthouses in the Boothbay Harbor area. Board the passenger vessel Novelty at Pier 8 in Boothbay Harbor for a comfortable hour-long cruise through inshore waters by Ram Island Light, Cuckolds Lighthouse closely and Monhegan Light, Seguin Island Light from afar (some locations are weather and visibility permitting). Learn the stories behind these iconic beacons;

Penobscot Marine Museum is pleased to announce that it will re-open on May 15th, 2019. For those of you not familiar with this wonderful museum, the Penobscot Marine Museum preserves, interprets and celebrates the maritime culture of the Penobscot Bay Region and beyond through collections, education, and community events. The museum is open 7 days a week, Memorial Day weekend through the 3rd weekend in October, and closed in winter. Museum Location: 2 Church Street in Searsport, Maine. 207-548-0334

Mary E is returning to the Kennebec! Join us to celebrate the commissioning of Mary E as Maine Maritime Museum’s ambassador — the oldest Maine-built wooden fishing vessel still sailing — following a nearly year-long restoration. Built in Bath in 1906, Mary E represents the legacy of the region’s shipbuilding heritage. Watch the commissioning ceremony, see traditional skills demonstrations, listen to the Bath City Band, step aboard Mary E, and see her sail once again on the mighty Kennebec River.

ACTRESS is a 75′ Murray Peterson schooner designed in 1937. She is traditionally rigged with deadeyes, pinrails, and lots of blocks. She requires 2-3 crew to sail her. She’s a great charter vessel with lots of room. With 6 berths below and wide open decks for lounging above, she’s a comfortable vessel that makes a fine vacation home on the water. Captain Hans Vierthaler has been sailing, teaching, and working on boats for 35 years and has had his USCG Captain’s license for 25 years. He previously owned and operated Abigail, a 39′ Alden ketch, which he used as a sail training vessel. He teaches coastal cruising courses at The WoodenBoat School, and schooner Actress is his charter business proudly running out of Belfast, Maine. He knows all the best spots and events happening in and around the rich cruising grounds of Penobscot Bay, loves meeting new people, and looks forward to sharing the experience of sailing.

THE 2018 MAINE LOBSTER BOAT RACE SCHEDULE! The first Maine Lobster Boat Race of the season opens at Boothbay Harbor in mid-June, and there are plenty of opportunities throughout the summer to watch lobster boat races throughout the summer in other areas around Maine.

Since the early 1900s the lobster fishermen of the State of Maine have been competing to see just who has the fastest boat. It began with sloops and evolved to power boats with the development of the internal combustion engine. First it was the make-and-break engines, which were followed by the typical automobile gasoline engine of 200 hp and now the boats are diesel powered with engines putting out as much as 1,200 hp.

The 2-day SOLO Wilderness First Aid Afloat course contains the same information included in SOLO Wilderness First Aid with the exception of altitude illness. It also includes additional topics that are of specific interest to boaters, such as sea sickness, marine bites and stings, and some types of injuries that are more common in marine environments. This new program is also slightly different from the regular SOLO WFA course in that topics like sending for help have been adapted to be more applicable to situations that might arise on the water and in a water-based environment. Minimum age 14.

Michael Good, Founder of Acadia Birding Festival and Down East Nature Tours in Bar Harbor has had the unique opportunity of studying ornithology on Mount Desert Island, Schoodic Peninsula and Cuba. Michael led his first Cuban Bird Survey starting in 2002 and on Thursday, March 15, 2018 will discuss the importance of Cuba as a vital stopover and wintering ground for birds breeding in Acadia National Park and Maine. Of the 413 species recorded in Cuba, 247 are migratory, with 142, or 36% of total Cuban species, coming mainly from the eastern and midwestern flyway of North America. Michael will report on the first American Pipit found on Cuba (Dec 3 2014, J. Caribbean Ornithology, in press) and other records since working with Caribbean Conservation Trust. A colorful slide presentation! When: March 15, 2018 at 12 – 1pm Where: Schoodic Institute – Moore Auditorium 9 Atterbury Circle Winter Harbor, Maine 04693 United States Map It For more information, please visit: https://www.schoodicinstitute.org  

This summer, Captain Hans Vierthaler plans to offer charter tours on the 56′ Murray Peterson brigantine from the Belfast harbor. A sailor of the coast of Maine for over 35 years, Vierthaler has worked at the Brooklin, Maine Boat Yard for more than 25 years and has been on the faculty as a teacher of seamanship at the Wooden Boat School for over 20 years. The Murray Peterson will be available for 3,4 and 6 day overnight trips for guests to enjoy all that an extended coastal excursion has to offer. Stay tune

(Searsport, Maine) On Saturday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m. Penobscot Marine Museum hosts Ralph Stanley as he presents Fishing During WWII. This free presentation will take place at 9 Church Street in Searsport at Penobscot Marine Museum’s Stephen Phillips Memorial Library. Ralph Stanley, historian, boatbuilder, and musician will talk about the perils, adventures, and day-to-day work of fishing out of Southwest Harbor, Maine during the War. For more information call 207-548-2529.     Photographs: Digital Public Library of America. Newman Family Collection. Source: http://swhplibrary.net/home/ About Penobscot Marine Museum Penobscot Marine Museum brings Maine’s maritime history to life on a campus of twelve beautiful historic buildings in the charming seacoast village of Searsport, Maine. Exhibits include hands-on activities for children and adults, as well as a ship captain’s house, marine paintings, scrimshaw, 19th century Chinese and Japanese pottery, boat models, historic Maine boats, a fisheries exhibit, and an heirloom garden. The Museum has over 200,000 historic photographs, and a maritime history research library. Museum offices and research library are open year round. Exhibits are open seven days a week, Memorial Day weekend through the third Sunday in October. PMM Visitors Center, 2 Church Street, Searsport, Maine. For more information call the Visitors Center […]

The annual Maine Boat Builders Show is a gathering of the finest fiberglass and wooden custom boat builders on the East Coast. Also exhibiting numerous manufacturers of boating equipment. Sailboats, powerboats, canoes, kayaks, and rowing boats with the builders there to discuss and sell their work. The show times for the 2018 Maine Boat builders are: Friday March 23, 10-6pm Saturday March 24, 10-6pm Sunday March 25, 10-4pm Location: 512 Warren Avenue, Portland, ME 04103 (Portland Sports Complex). Admission: $15.00 per day at the door. Children under 12 accompanied by adults will be admitted free. Limited, complimentary handicapped parking. (First come first serve) Access the Free Shuttle Bus at Maine Boatbuilders Show Signs posted along Warren Ave (offered by VIP Tour and Charter Bus Company). Visit this Facebook Page for more information. Image: Courtesy of Maine Boatbuilders Show

Please join in the fun With the Penobscot Marine Museum: An 1894 Dinner and Grog Ondine Oyster & Wine Bar 108 Main Street, Belfast, Maine February 22, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. $65 per person Seating is limited. Please reserve by phone 207-338-3318 or email skettell@pmm-maine.org Pictures from the Penobscot Marine Museum tell many stories. The picture on the card below was taken in 1894 at the Oddfellows Hall in Belfast (the building now houses Chase’s Daily). We do not know what the men are drinking or why they are peeling apples, but we can have a lot of fun thinking about both, and eating some of the food they might have eaten in 1894 in Belfast, prepared by Chef Evan Mallet (Ondine Oyster & Wine Bar) in 2018. Please join us for some fun and see more of our photos – old ones of familiar places and some of our newest collection of work by Kosti Ruohomaa that is creating a stir around the state. And as always, Evan’s cooking is the icing on any cake.

Voices of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum: An oral history project to capture Forum participants’ stories and fishing legacy forever! Come be interviewed during the Maine Fishermen’s Forum, March 1-3 in Rockland, Maine. Tell your stories about fishing and the fishing industry, and share your legacy for the next generation of fishermen! Every Forum attendee is welcome to step aboard The First Coast’s Airstream mobile recording studio, parked by the Samoset’s front entrance, to help document Maine’s fisheries legacy. Whether you have a specific fisheries-related story you want to share, or prefer being interviewed in a Q&A fashion; whether young or old; fisherman, family member, friend, or are somehow connected to the future of Maine’s fishing industry, we want to hear from you. Sea Grant, The First Coast, and College of the Atlantic are working together to bring The First Coast’s mobile audio recording studio (a re-furbished Airstream) to the Forum where it will be parked in a visible location at the Samoset and open 10 AM to 10 PM all three days for walk-in and pre-scheduled oral history sessions. All audio will be archived in a publicly accessible location, and stories of Maine’s fishermen and our changing coast will be […]

Nordic Aquafarms chooses Belfast Maine to construct a land-based salmon farm with 66 million pounds annual production capacity, equals approximately 8 percent of US consumption of salmon. Capital investments between 450 to 500 Mill USD.

Find Your Maine Winter with Schoodic Institute! WINTER HARBOR – Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park hosts the 4th annual Acadia Winter Festival, February 9 – 11, 2018. This year’s festival offers fun activities to get adults, kids, families and friends active and outdoors to connect and explore the natural world in winter. Kick-off the festival Friday afternoon with a cross country ski excursion with a Park naturalist in Acadia National Park, Winter Harbor. No snow? No worries – hike the trails instead! Schoodic Institute invites the public to meet and welcome Dr. Don Kent, newly appointed Schoodic Institute President and CEO at a public reception Saturday, February 10, 2018 from [spp-timestamp time=”4:00″] – 5:30 p.m. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. New to the festival this year; Family Dinner Theater with Jude Lamb. Eunice Lakeman married Luther Hoar in 1799. In 1817 they traveled about 20 miles with their 9 children, on foot, from the Avon area to what is now called Rangeley Lake, in Maine. Not only did they travel over late winter snow, but they climbed as much as 1000 feet in elevation. Along the way they had an adventure they did not plan! Hear the […]

Friday, February 2, 2018, 5:30 – 7pm, at the University of Maine – Hutchinson Center, in Belfast Maine | “Globalization Is Not New: Maine’s Merchant Marine in 19th Century World Trade”. A Camden Conference-Affiliated Talk. The topic of the 31st Annual Camden Conference is New World Disorder and America’s Future. Penobscot Marine Museum’s curator, Cipperly Good, will speak at a Camden Conference-affiliated event about how she understands today’s economic globalist from a historic view. Maine’s location in the far northeast of the United States, serves as the perfect point of departure for sailing merchant ships pushed by the prevailing westerly winds and the flow of the Gulf Stream to trade ports in Europe and beyond. The location, coupled with our rich timber reserves for shipbuilding and a workforce adept at navigating, captaining and crewing the large cargo ships known as Downeasters, made Maine ships and crew dominate in global shipping during the last half of the 19th century.

NEED A MEANINGFUL GIFT IDEA? Do you know a kid or a young professional showing some interest in design, construction, boatbuilding, sailing, fishing, coastal ecology and maritime history? If so, a subscription to Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors magazine is the perfect gift! Easy to order, affordable and meaningful. Pssst…No need to tell we gave you the idea 🙂 ORDER HERE: https://goo.gl/ATiJCs Experience Maritime Maine – Visit Maine!

DON’T MISS The PORTLAND (BOAT) PARADE OF LIGHT (Portland, Maine). This Saturday, Dec 16 (starts at 4:30pm). Watch the parade from your favorite waterfront location in Portland or South Portland such as the Eastern Promenade, Maine State Pier, DiMillo’s On the Water, Bug Light Park are just to name a few. This winter, Experience Maritime Maine– Visit Maine!  

CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION! How about a donation to a Maine Maritime organization such as the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, ME? Your gift will help them present exhibits and events that conserve and promote our maritime culture and offer educational opportunities to our region’s young people. TO DONATE: https://goo.gl/d8P9i1 Experience Maritime Maine – Visit Maine!

WINTER DOES NOT HAVE TO BE BORING! Winter Activities: Children’s Day at the Abbe (Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine). When Sat Dec 9 1:00-3:00PM. https://goo.gl/1hH5KK Looking for a fun and artistic activity for your children and their friends to enjoy? The Abbe Museum is celebrating Wabanaki traditional winter activities and inviting the community to join us for daylong activities! Enjoy complimentary hot cocoa, listen to stories, and enjoy a fun craft! Program offered in partnership with Acadia National Park. Free and open to the public. This winter Experience Maritime Maine – Visit Maine!

TOMORROW SAT DEC. 9! Don’t miss Rockport Holiday on the Harbor!!! Schedule of Events: [spp-timestamp time=”1:30″]-2:30pm – Bay Chamber Music School students 2-7pm – Photography exhibit at Ralston Gallery 2-4:30pm – Visits with Santa at Union Hall 3pm – Bay Chamber Concerts presents Songs of Solomon Gospel Choir at the Rockport Opera House 3-6pm Wine Tasting at RAYR – the wine shop [spp-timestamp time=”4:30″]-5pm – Odeon Brandenburg Ensemble at Union Hall 5pm – Tree Lighting, Flatbread Pizza and refreshments at Rockport Marine Park 5pm – 18 Central Oyster Bar & Grill opens with holiday drink and dinner specials 5:30pm – Fireworks on Rockport Harbor This winter, Experience Maritime Maine – Visit Maine! Photo by Peter Ralston

THIS WEEKEND, CELEBRATE THE SEASON COLONIAL STYLE at the Tate House (Portland, Maine). Captain George Tate, his wife Mary and their friends celebrated with much food, drink, music and games. A joyous, bright spot in what could turn out to be a long, cold winter! House tours on Sat, Dec 9 & Sun, Dec 10. The last tour will leave at [spp-timestamp time=”3:30″]PM. After the tour, you are invited to take some refreshment in the parlor. TICKETS & INFO: https://goo.gl/wVpwX1 This winter, Experience Maritime Maine – Visit Maine!

Kosti Comes Home Penobscot Marine Museum Acquires Kosti Ruohomaa Photo Collection (Searsport, Maine) The archive of negatives, contact sheets, and prints of Rockland, Maine photographer, Kosti Ruohomaa, have come home to Maine as the newest addition to the photography holdings of the Penobscot Marine Museum. The collection was recently donated to the PMM by Black Star of New York, Ruohomaa’s photography agency, and consists of thousands of medium and large format negatives, 35 mm negatives and slides, as well as contact sheets and vintage prints. Photograph above: Night train at Wiscasset Station, perhaps Kosti Ruohomaa’s most well known photograph. During the age of the photo magazine, Kosti was a rock star in the photography world. His photographs graced the cover of Life Magazine numerous times. Other major magazines such as Look, National Geographic, and Life used his photos regularly. He moved to Dodge Mountain in Rockland at the age of 13, where his family had a blueberry farm. He discovered his love for photography in the 1930s while working as a cartoonist for Disney. During the 1940s and 50s, his career blossomed.  While he photographed around the world, Maine was his favorite subject, both the people and land. He died prematurely […]

GONE FISHING! 2017 Exhibit at the Penobscot Marine Museum (Searsport, ME) | Runs through October 15, 2017 | The new exhibit explores the world of Maine’s commercial fisheries through exhibits and programs that will entertain and educate children and adults alike. Learn more SEE THE LIGHT: The Preservation of Midcoast Maine Lighthouses at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, ME | Runs through October 22, 2017 | The new millennium has seen the U.S. Coast Guard handing over stewardship of the nation’s lighthouses to the public and private sectors. With the participation of at least a dozen Midcoast Maine lighthouse organizations, See the Light, on view in the Marjorie W. Kramer Gallery, surveys the challenges and success stories of preserving these iconic maritime structures. Learn more Experience Maritime Maine is a multi-regional initiative whose mission is to celebrate the rich heritage, culture, and dramatic natural beauty of Maine’s coast through collaborative promotion of an array of experiences. Maine maritime events, interactive maps, podcasts can be found at: http://www.experiencemaritimemaine.org

Join us to celebrate the launch of “Salts & Water” – a brand new podcast series! Experience Maritime Maine, a partnership of organizations and regions that promote and celebrate the Maine’s rich maritime heritage recently launched “Salts & Water,” a six-part audio series, offering a unique and creative opportunity for listeners to experience the people and places along Maine’s coast in sound. Produced by Rob Rosenthal, “Salts & Water” is designed to help deepen and enrich the visitor experience by highlighting the maritime traditions and culture of Maine. Rosenthal, an award-winning radio and audio producer will be leading the listening session and answers your questions. When: Thursday, September 14, 2017 from [spp-timestamp time=”5:30″] to 6:60 pm Where: Tides Institute’s Seaman’s Church building (the Congregational Church), Address: 26 Middle Street, Eastport ME Hope to see you there!

Special Tour! BEHIND CLOSED DOORS OF CASTLE TUCKER: Friday, Sept. 15, 2017 10am – 11:30am. Peek into the nooks and crannies of this thirty-room mansion on a special Behind Closed Doors Tour. There’s something new to see whether you are a first-time or repeat visitor. This leisurely in-depth tour includes rooms and stories not included on the regular tour. Filled with the original furnishings of the Tucker family, who lived here for more than 140 years, Castle Tucker is one of the most complete and original Victorian homes in the United States. Location: 2 Lee Street in Wiscasset, Maine.  

Monday September 25, 7pm at the Belfast Free Library-Abbott Room: William Leavenworth, Maritime Environmental Historian will present changes in mid-coast fisheries over the decades. William has been pouring through old fishing logs and data housed at Penobscot Marine Museum and other fisheries research archives to shed light on the health of the fishing stocks over time. Come hear his latest research on the Maine coastal fisheries, which through 1924 caught more seafood product each year by weight and variety than Maine’s distant water fisheries (Grand Banks). Free Admission

Join the fun at the 2017 International Maritime Film Festival (IMFF), a juried contest of films celebrating the heritage, spirit of adventure, and ingenuity of boats and waterborne pursuits. It is the premier event for maritime-themed filmmaking. The Bucksport’s state-of-the-art Alamo Theatre will host a gala awards event on the weekend of September 29-October 1, 2017.  Q&A sessions with the filmmakers and the players at the center of these films will delight everyone who loves film and those who love all things maritime related. The 2017 Festival Lineup Buy your Festical Passes      

The Maine Windjammer Association is pleased to announce that Capt. Jim Sharp has been selected by the MWA Captains to receive the 2017 MWA Lifetime Appreciation Award. The Award will be presented to Capt. Jim on Friday, Sept. 1st at 7 pm on the Harbor Park Stage in Camden during the Camden Windjammer Festival. Camden, MAINE—Set against the backdrop of America’s largest fleet of historic schooners, the members of the Maine Windjammer Association (MWA) will present their Lifetime Appreciation Award to Captain Jim Sharp on September 1st at 7 pm on the Harbor Park stage during the Camden Windjammer Festival.  Sharp has been part of the schooner world since the 1950s and he was one of the early members of the MWA during the time he owned the Stephen Taber and Adventure. After a lifetime of rebuilding more than 30 vessels and showcasing the coast of Maine as a schooner captain, Capt. Sharp enjoyed a 20-year retirement that allowed him to focus on writing, cruising and donating his beloved Schooner Adventure to the city of Gloucester. In 2009, Jim and his wife Meg Sharp came out of retirement to renovate the old Snow Shipyard property in Rockland to create the Sail, […]

“For 30 years, the end of summer in Eastport, Maine, has been celebrated with a festival, a gathering, an homage to our local resources, especially the Atlantic salmon raised in the cold waters of Passamaquoddy Bay. Of course, no community festival is complete without a meal, and the Eastport Salmon & Seafood Festival is no exception. The centerpiece of Salmon Sunday has always been the salmon barbecue. Through the years, the details of the events and the meal — the side dishes and desserts, the musicians, the wine, the servers and cooks — have varied, but the one constant that brings us back year after year is that delicious piece of grilled salmon. We eat under the big tent in a crowd of friends, neighbors and visitors. We look up from our repast and gaze contentedly at the breathtaking view of the Passamaquoddy Bay just a few feet away. Those of us who live here try not to take our stunning surroundings for granted, and we’re happy to share with travelers who are wise enough to step off the beaten path to seek us out. Come for music, arts and crafts, a Fiber Arts Show, galleries, gift shops and museums, […]

Opening art reception for three local artists who are sharing their experiences with the natural world through a variety of art media on Friday, September 1st from 5-8 p.m. at the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center and Art Gallery in Rockland, Maine. 

Camden Windjammer Festival starts on September 1, 2017  in Camden, ME.  The fleet gathers in picturesque Camden Harbor for festivities reminiscent of the days when hundreds of coastal schooners lined the waterfront. Festivities include a parade of sail, flag-raising ceremonies, live music, dancing and fireworks. Raft-Up! 

September 1-10, 2017 in Boothbay Harbor, ME | Boothbay Harbor Fest | Food, Music, Road Race, Wellness Fair, Daily Art Receptions, Funky Fashion Show! Harbor Fest is a ten-day celebration that showcases the creativity and individuality of more than 100 Maine businesses and organizations. The non-traditional festival format takes attendees on an adventure around the Boothbay peninsula to experience local foods, live music, fine arts, creative wares, a 5k, half marathon, wellness fair, photography workshops, an oyster fest, and a one of a kind fashion show featuring original designs made from the marine industry.

GREAT NEWS! After a brief hiatus for maintenance, Merrymeeting is back at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, Maine running a full schedule of lighthouse and nature cruises. Gorgeous late summer days ahead to cruise the Kennebec. Think also of taking a Fall foliage cruise! 

August 31, 2017 in Searport Maine, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Talk: The Mackerel Schooner AUGUSTA E. HERRICK with Ralph Stanley, historian and boatbuilder (Searsport, Maine) Thursday, August 31, 2017, at 7:00 p.m., Penobscot Marine Museum continues their 2017 speaker series with Ralph Stanley, historian and boatbuilder, presenting a talk on the mackerel schooner AUGUSTA E. HERRICK. The cost is $8 for general admission and $5 for Museum members. The talk will be held at Penobscot Marine Museum’s Visitors Center at 2 Church Street in Searsport, Maine.

Check the new Maine Maritime Museum exhibit “Into the Lantern: A Lighthouse Experience”. It’s a full-scale replication of the Cape Elizabeth Two Lights lighthouse tower lantern room, allows visitors to see the original second-order Fresnel lens from the east tower at Two Lights and experience the environment of the lantern room through time-lapsed video projections featuring a panorama of the Gulf of Maine that changes with the weather and seasons. This immersive exhibit is the first of its kind anywhere.

Participate in an archeological dig on Smuttynose Island, Isles of Shoals, Maine!

Spend half-days working on the excavation near the Haley House, afternoons taking walking tours of historical sites on Smuttynose and other Shoals islands, and evenings learning about life on Smuttynose from the 1600’s to the 1800’s through pottery, domestic animal bones, buttons, coins and other finds from the Isles of Shoals Archaeology Project. Participants will reside at the Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore Island, a 10-minute boat ride from Smuttynose Island. When: Aug 21-24, 2017

Exciting news! Experience Maritime Maine is introducing a new 6-part podcast series, by award-winning producer Rob Rosenthal that will take you on a very unique journey on the Maine coasts of Eastport, Stonington, Searsport, Rockland, Bath, and Portland. The audio stories to be released this summer paint remarkable character portraits of the “women lobstermen” of Stonington, the owners of today’s Windjammers, and the salty fish monger of Portland’s Maine Pier just to name a few. Salts and Water is a project of Experience Maritime Maine, funded in part by the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation and sponsored by Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors. We would like to invite you to visit experiencemaritimemaine.org to learn more about Maine’s rich maritime culture or to plan your coastal travels. Listen to our Salts and Water trailer:   Thank you to our funders and sponsors!

THIS SATURDAY JULY 15, 2017 on Bailey Island, ME. Join the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) for their second annual Hook, Line, and Dinner. Celebrate Maine fishermen and our Maine’s wonderful seafood in a gorgeous iconic Maine spot at Cook’s Lobster and Ale House on Bailey Island. If you love Maine seafood, Maine beer, and Maine music, this event is for you. Event starts at 6 and tickets are $55. Ticket fee includes beer, seafood, and music. BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE: https://goo.gl/Z6duvf Experience Maritime Maine – Visit Maine!

EXPERIENCE MAINE FROM THE WATER – No Maine experience is complete without a visit to an island and without seeing Maine’s coast from a boat. This summer, take one of the many Island ferries in Portland, Port-Clyde, Rockland, Lincolnville, the Schoodic Peninsula, Eastport and other locations on the coast. Maine Map with Ferry locations – (Source: https://goo.gl/GUEDj8) Maine Ferry Resources: Casco Bay Ferry Seguin Island Ferry Monhegan Boat Line Vinalhaven Ferry Services Lincolnville Terminal Bar Harbor Ferry Schoodic Ferry Quoddy Loop Ferry

Gone Fishing! Exhibit runs through October 15, 2017 at Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, Maine.

The Penobscot Marine Museum (Searsport, Maine) opens for their 81st year with Gone Fishing!  The new exhibit explores the world of Maine’s commercial fisheries through exhibits and programs that will entertain and educate children and adults alike.

TODAY TUESDAY JUNE 20, 2017 ON MAINE CALLING: Sailing in Maine! Tune in at 1 pm on Maine Public for a special Maine Calling on “Sailing in Maine” with Jennifer Rooks. Experience Maritime Maine – Visit Maine!

“E.B. White, William F. Buckley, Roosevelts and Rockefellers – all passionately loved to sail Maine’s famous coastal passages. But you don’t have to be rich and famous to catch the bug and get out on the water. We learn about the different ways to get involved in sailing, and the impact of sailing to Maine’s economy – especially for tourism.

265 years ago on June 10, 1752, Benjamin Franklin flew a kite to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning.

Today, kites are flown mostly for fun. In Maine, kite aficionados love to go to:

– Back Cove, Portland, Maine, 

– Bug Light Park in South Portland, ME, 

– Fort Williams Park (Portland Head Light) in Cape Elizabeth, Maine

– Ogunquit Beach in Ogunquit, Maine

– Pine Point, Maine in Scarborough, Maine 

… just to name a few. 

TODAY IS NATIONAL LOBSTER DAY 2017! Check out our article about Lobsters and map of suggested Coastal Lobster Shacks!

The Schoodic Ferry is a unique concept that combines passenger service between Winter Harbor and Bar Harbor (see map below) and baseline environmental data collection for oceanographic assessments of the Frenchman Bay. Local and international scientists develop and conduct long-term marine mammal, pelagic bird, bait fish, and plankton surveys, helping the Frenchman Bay community develop an ecosystem level understanding of the Bay and its inhabitants.

Are you looking for Maine lighthouses or need driving directions to our great maritime museums? Do you wonder where you can catch a ferry to see the famous Puffins and the majestic whales? A great walk or bike ride on the coast? Check out our map & directions for Maine Maritime-related activities and sites.

The Dorade and America will be on exhibition on the Castine waterfront starting at noon on August 3. At 4:00, In Delano Auditorium at Maine Maritime Academy, both vessels will be honored and author Doug Adkins will chair of panel of distinguished skippers and historians.

From Islesboro to Rockland Harbor, the 2016 Great Schooner Race: Maine’s tall ship fleet gathers for an exciting race from Islesboro to Rockland, followed by a festive Awards Ceremony/Party with live music. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Great Schooner Race, North America’s largest annual gathering of tall ships!

ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER. And through mid-July, you can also see this thought-provoking temporary public sculpture on Dudley Island by Alicia Eggert, a TED fellow and recent resident artist at the Tides Institute. The sculpture seems to change with the changing weather conditions of Passamaquoddy Bay–crisp and prominent on clear, sunny days, and barely visible on foggy and overcast days.

Bath Heritage Days! Heritage Days in Bath, Maine is a four day festival happening fromFriday July 1st through Monday July 4th. The events are held throughout city’s downtown area and include the following fun and exciting activities for the entire family.

At the Tate House Museum: Fletcher’s Scouting Company will be demonstrating and interpreting military history, equipment skills and experiences of the original English forces in what was the Province of Maine in the 18th Century.

HOOK, LINE, AND DINNER. Celebrate Maine seafood and Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association’s 10th Anniversary! Thomaston, ME. On Tuesday, June 7, 2016, The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) will be hosting Hook, Line, and Dinner at the Slipway Restaurant in Thomaston, Maine. This event will celebrate Maine’s local seafood, as well as, the 10th anniversary of the association.

If you ever wondered what a Maine Coastal town look like, check out this recent high definition aerial footage of downtown Belfast Maine, just north of Camden on Route 1. A great tool to appreciate the scenic beauty, the architecture, an authentic Main Street vibe and a working waterfront.

From Charleston NC to New York City to Portland ME, Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing is the only dedicated Class 40 sailing race in the United States. The race showcases top sailors in this class in a 3-leg event and Portland is the stopover for the third leg. The Atlantic Cup finale is an inshore-style race with Casco Bay as the backdrop.

Do you recognize this dashing gentleman? Come to Castine on July 14, 2016, the French National holiday! The town of Castine has a long standing relationship with France and was named after the Baron de St. Castin. His marriage to Chief Madockawando’s daughter joined our French and Native American cultures-which he defended for more than a generation, with his Wabanaki allies from his base in our little town. Spend a day in our historic village, enjoying our French and Native American culture through music, food, film, lectures on French and Native American history, re-enactments, children’s activities, French cooking demonstrations and village walking tours.

The annual Down East Spring Birding Festival provides a unique birding experience during spring migration and the breeding season with four days of guided hikes, boat tours, and presentations, all led by local guides with local knowledge. The Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife has named the Down East Spring Birding Festival one of the best in the country.

Program Topic: Gulls and seabirds in the Gulf of Maine. Key Discussion Points: Herring and great black-back gull populations are on the decline in the Gulf of Maine, what is happening? Researchers at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor and at University of New Brunswick share their field work and results looking at sea bird and gull populations. What does gull decline portend for the health of the Gulf of Maine system as a whole?