Every winter storm brings new life to some of Maine’s most appealing creatures.
This very charming species was spotted in Castine after the ‘Route One Blizzard’ of early 2010.
Here they are observed in their native habitat.
It’s been a turkey of a year for lobstermen still struggling with the current market and various economic pressures, eventually resulting in scarey stories of shootings this summer.
The lobster story continues as Linda Bean, the L.L. Bean heiress, initiates her new Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine (Lobster) Company. Concerned about the plight of the local lobstermen, she’s invested millions into the company, with plans to open 100 franchises, nationwide, of her version of the lobster shack.
So this year, once again, give thanks to your local lobsterman by treating yourself to the luxury of a lobster dinner!
(A similar post ran last year and it’s still unforutnately appropriate this year. Don’t want to run it next!)
Spiders hopefully won’t be found in the lines at Market Basket, Chases Daily, or Farm Fare, but they have a fantastic alternative.
The quirky, and pretty, elver nets are back on the Union River that flows through Ellsworth. They’re quite puzzling if you don’t know what they are. Here’s last year’s post about fishing for elvers. Elvers are young eels.
And here are some really amazing American Eel facts:
Here is more info from The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The nets will remain in Ellsworth until the end of the month. So if you want to see them, you’d better hurry. You can also visit the wonderful Rooster Brother at the same time, and harvest some of their fantastic freshly roasted coffees.
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Those who come to Maine for world class sailing, also come for world class boat builders. Benjamin Loveless came for both.
Although the seeds were there, his lust for boats came later in his life, than for some. But now, like so many souls who have salt in their blood, he loves anything, and everything to do with boats.
Lucky to have his first boat building job with a gifted boatsmith, he’s keen to hone his skills and test his grit, on the long trek to mastery.
There is currently a strong resurgence of fine wooden boat building in Maine. Ben might be in just the right spot to catch a steady breeze.
Are you from here or away?
I am from away, born in England, grew up in South Carolina and have been in Maine since Spring of 2002, hoping to never have to leave.
Where do you live?
As of late, it has been Northport, Maine, renting seasonal cottages and condos.
What do you like most / least about living here?
The land is beautiful, the water even more so and I feel that everyone has something going on and move with purpose.
Where do you work?
Artisian Boatworks. I have worked there for over a year now.
What are your responsibilities?
Assisting in the construction, maintenance, care and finishing of our customers’ boats.
What is it’s history?
Alec Brainerd of Rockport, Maine, started the business about five or six years ago. While a new small business, Alec’s taste in yachts and professional manner have brought Artisan Boatworks into a competitive and successful niche market, where I believe his successes will continue to grow.
Were you always interested in boats?
I spent time in my very young days in Dover, England with my grandparents who both worked on the ferries crossing the English channel. Inevitably, I would end up on them from time to time. I used to love watching the hovercrafts come in with my Grandad.
There was a little time in my early twenties working on a trawler and a longliner in the Bering Sea out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska as well as high speed catamarans than ran between Seattle and Victoria Island, British Columbia.
I had always wanted to learn how to sail and eventually sought a berth on the Maine Windjammer Cruises fleet owned by Captain Ray Williamson. I had four great years with them . . . a time that will never be forgotten. No one ever told me in high school that I could be a sailor, captain, or boatbuilder, which I believe to be a shame. My interest was always there, even in the wonderful blur of adolescence.
Do you have one?
I do! Her name is Mary Ellen and she is a Concordia 31. There are only ten hulls of this design in the world and she is the third, built by Bud McIntosh in 1961. Currently, she sits in winter storage awaiting some maintenance.
These photos are of Ben and the Artisan Boat Works crew, working on a one-off, full keel version of Herreshoff’s Buzzard’s Bay 15. The gorgeous boat has just been sanded, and will be ready to debut at the Maine Boatbuilders Show in Portland, March 20-22. Time to celebrate!
To read the full interview, go to this page. To see more photos in a slide show, go to this page.
As the wise bumper sticker says — ‘Life is too short to sail an ugly boat!’
The acclaimed artists called Christo might be impressed with these interesting nets that magically appeared all along the Union River in Ellsworth, Maine. Here is their ‘Running Fence Project.’ They have a ‘River Project’ in progress as well.
But these nets are not fishing for acclaim, they are fishing for the very elusive elvers.
Hatched in the Sargasso Sea, elvers (young eels) amazingly find their way from the Atlantic Ocean, up the Union River to Ellsworth, Maine, and other fresh water rivers in North America. The American eel (Anguilla rostrata) has a catadromous life cycle, which means that they spawn in the ocean and migrate to fresh water to grow to adult size.
They are relatively rare and are one of the highest per pound catches in the world. Japan and Korea are lucrative markets. It’s a slippery business as this market attracts those who are interested in short term, high risk investments. And they are not day traders, they have to harvest their catch at odd hours only during the night. The season continues until May 31.
If you go to Ellsworth to check them out, stop in Rooster Brother to catch some good food. They appear to be important to the life cycle of elver fisherman and other hungry folks as well. Besides, they have refined the high art of roasting great coffee beans.
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