March 18. With the weather still cold, Amy and Will Palmer became parents of Islesford’s newest citizen, Adele Louise, at 8 p.m. Adele was born in Bar Harbor weighing just over 10 pounds and measuring 23 inches long. Warmer weather was forecast for later in the week, providing a good opportunity for Adele’s first homecoming. By Tuesday, March 23, spring had arrived on the calendar, but fishermen heading out to traps had to shovel the snow out of their skiffs and there was a buildup of ice on the float at the Fishermen’s Coop. On the same cold Tuesday, we learned from the Bangor Daily News that the National Park Service was calling for “service level adjustments” that would prevent the summer opening of the Islesford Museum for the first time since it was built by William Otis Sawtelle in 1919. The museum had been given as a gift to Acadia National Park in 1948. Islesford schoolchildren wrote letters to Senators Snowe and Collins, President Bush, and the Acadia Park superintendent. The Sawtelle family members, along with many other summer and year round residents, wrote letters asking that the decision be reconsidered. Hugh Dwelley, president of the Islesford Historical Society, was also very active with a letter campaign. To lose 11,000 visitors who come by boat to see the museum would severely impact many of the small businesses on both Islesford and Great Cranberry. By the first week in April the letters of support and a directive from the NPS to avoid cutting services that are visible to the public, caused a turnaround in the Park’s decision.

March 25. Congratulations to Rick Alley on winning the State of Maine Duck Stamp Competition for the fifth time. His mother, Lillian Alley was with him in Augusta when the judges made their decision. With his award this year, Rick has earned the opportunity to be a judge in next year’s competition.

March 27. The weather was warming up and robins were being seen all over the islands. We’ve had plenty of Canada geese flying overhead and we can start to believe that spring is continuing her progression. Dip of the Month Club members, knowing that March provides the coldest water temperatures, waited until this windless Saturday to take the plunge. According to the weather buoy on the eastern shelf, the water temperature was 36 degrees at the surface. This is about the same temperature as it was last year during our March dip. Stefanie Alley, Cindy Thomas, Jesse Minor, Joy Sprague, Lee Kuck and Barb Fernald hooted and hollered their way into and out of the wintry waters. Seven people stood on the beach to cheer us on.

Mark Fernald’s new lobster boat, EMMA MARIE, was launched in Northeast Harbor on March 31. The 42-foot Atlantic Boatworks hull is Newport green with a white cabin and gray decks. After a few milder attempts, Mark’s wife, Vicky, hauled off and gave the bow a good whack, breaking the bottle of champagne for the christening. If you’re looking for Mark’s old boat, MERRY MARCUS, it’s on Corey Alley’s mooring with a new name, UNDER PRESSURE.

The names of fishing boats with connections to the Cranberry Isles are as diverse as their owners. DOUBLE TROUBLE, MOTHER ANN, WIND SONG, JOANNE LOUISE, JULLIAN, HEATHER ELIZABETH, RIPTIDE, SEA WIND, AMY YVONNE, PANDORA, SEA CHIMES, STEFANIE, ASHLEY ‘N LUCY, GEORGIA PEACH, SCORPIO’S LADY, EMILY M, MARIE LYNNE, BOTTOM DOLLAR, JUST A PLUGGIN, JENNIE D, SWAMP DONKEY, RED DEVIL, and SEA PIGEON are some of the current names.

Before boats had ship-to-shore radios, some of them did not have names. Warren Fernald recalls that his father Mac Fernald’s boat had no name until 1948, when he named it the BARBARA ANN after his daughter. The letter H was shared by four boats in former days. Winslow Bunker’s GERTRUDE H, Lee Ham’s HELEN H, Lawrence Beal’s NATALIE H, and Zane Gray’s VIVIAN H. Wives and daughters continue to inspire the names for many boats as they did with these captains: Richard Alley’s SUZANNE, Harry Alley’s SHANNON II, Roland Sprague’s BETTY LOU, Ted Spurling’s SERENA LEE, Win Fernald’s RITA, Karl Wedge’s SONJA RUSSELL, Tud Bunker’s POLLY and Philmore Peterson’s KITTY. Other imaginative names from the past were Bert Spurling’s RESTLESS, Elmer Spurling’s VAGABOND, HOBO, and MALESCA, Fred Leighton’s YANKEE, and Francis Fernald’s WORMWOOD. Dan Fernald’s first boat was PA’S PRIDE, later owned by his brother Bruce. I witnessed an informative change in one boat’s name about 27 years ago. As I left for a weekend trip, Teddy Spurling’s DIAMOND RING rode peacefully on her mooring. Upon my return, the same boat was painted with a new name, JEZEBEL.

April arrived with a depressing continuation of cold gray days. However, at noon on April 2, the Islesford School was transformed into a cozy Spanish Cafe, giving the community a chance to take their minds off the weather as they enjoyed some hot and tasty food. The student waiters and waitresses spoke mostly Spanish but were very willing to translate for the many who came to enjoy the Mexican music and the delicious selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts. The successful fundraiser will help to pay for a field trip to Crawford Notch, New Hampshire for a mountain classroom experience sponsored by the Appalachian Mountain Club.

April 5 brought us a snowstorm that closed schools on Mount Desert Island. By the end of the week we saw temperatures in the high 50s. On April 10, 17 islanders attended a day-long wildfire seminar presented by Rick Henion and John Cousins, forest rangers with the Maine Department of Conservation. Rick and his wife, Theresa, also discussed the requirements for training first responders for medical emergencies. They began their own EMT training during their 12 years of living on Isle au Haut, so they have a special understanding of island situations. Many thanks to Courtney Chaplin and Phil Whitney and for organizing training opportunities on each island. Our town truly benefits from their extra time and leadership to help improve our municipal fire departments.

Barbara Fernald

Islesford, April 12, 2004