PORTLAND — One of the best business opportunities Maine has seen in years could begin with a single pallet-load of goods. That opportunity is now available through Eimskip, the Icelandic company that in the last two years has established a shipping facility at the west end of Commercial Street. Eimskip (pronounced AIM-skip) has facilities across
Monhegan postal service is more than mail, islanders say
MONHEGAN PLANTATION — Islanders are concerned about a cutback in hours and pay for the worker who handles retail operations at their island post office. And they’re also concerned the U.S. Postal Service might one day cut its budget for the boat that brings the mail. The retail position, islanders say, has been a good
Eastport after the breakwater collapse
When part of the Eastport Breakwater collapsed in the early morning hours of Dec. 4, three boats and a truck were destroyed and one person was injured. The calamity came at the start of a busy scallop-fishing season, and so the inner basin was full of draggers. Since then, fishermen have had to find alternatives
Winter on the North Atlantic, the most dangerous waters on Earth
The junior midshipmen at Maine Maritime Academy embarked this New Year’s on the first winter training cruise in 17 years on board the State of Maine. While I did not get to go with my classmates as before, I got many pictures and stories from them about the storms on the North Atlantic. Upon their
A dead whale washes ashore on an island: what to do?
Christmas Day in the Cranberry Isles arrived with winds high enough to cause ferry cancelations, though the air temperature was unseasonably mild. Fortunately for us, our family had arrived two days earlier. In a rare event that might occur once in five years, both of our sons came home to the island for Christmas at
Planning to fish is difficult, but necessary
If you ask a lobsterman if he works from a business plan, the response might be something like, “I’m trying to get through next week,” or “I take it year by year.” Some will say that they used to have one, but they stopped when the timing of the shed became so unpredictable. Uncertainty created
Always on duty, always in sight
The work of an Island Fellow often follows a schedule quite different from those work roles most people are accustomed to. The standard 9-5 shifts followed by going home don’t really apply. Sometimes, I find myself working from home. As I write this, actually, I am sitting at my home desk as the snow falls
New Vinalhaven town manager on board
Steve Eldridge began work as Vinalhaven’s new town manager on Dec. 1. Eldridge had been interim town manager in Bethel in western Maine for the six months prior to being hired on the island. He also has been town manager in Lisbon and Rumford. The island job appealed to him because of the quality of
Island Institute, by the numbers
A recent survey of our readers revealed that many of you wonder just what it is that the Island Institute does (besides publishing The Working Waterfront newspaper, that is). For all of us on staff here at the Institute, fielding that question in professional and social settings can give us pause. Not because we’re confused
Ocean acidification panel urges strong response
Ocean acidification (OA), the phrase used to describe the conditions causing the drop in the pH levels in the sea and the damaging increase in acidity that follows, is a problem identified only in the last ten years or so. But if action isn’t taken immediately, say members of a legislative commission, Maine shellfish could