Marine biotoxins became a problem in Prince Edward Island in the late 1980s, when mussels poisoned three tourists, all of whom died. A number of others became ill and were left with long-term neurological problems. John White, policy officer with the Canadian food inspection agency that delivers the Canadian shellfish sanitation program (CSSP), says in
Duffy
“People have a big misconception that I always wanted to build boats,” said Richard Duffy. “They’re really wrong because I never intended to build boats for a living.” Duffy’s story, to hear him tell it, is that of a poor boy who built his first boat with his father to replace an old one that
The Wreck Of The MEDUSA:The Most Famous Sea Disaster of the Nineteenth Century
Atlantic Monthly Press, 2007 309 pages, $25.00 “Sir, you have made a shipwreck” On the morning of July 2, 1816, the French frigate Medusa, enroute to Senegal, hit a reef off the coast of Africa. The result was one of the great nautical disasters of the century; a 19th century version of the Titanic, without
Tight Turns
To the editor: Great article by Harry Gratwick about U.S.S. Georgia — a Maine built battleship [WWF Feb. 2008]. I can imagine the difficulty maneuvering that heavy vessel down the bends in the Kennebec River below Bath. The story of the Great White Fleet’s trip around the world is also fascinating, as well as the
Fishing, boatbuilding and “green” technology
The March issue of Working Waterfront coincides with two significant early-spring events in coastal Maine: the annual Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport and the Maine Boatbuilders Show in Portland. Both bring together thousands, of people with an interest in boats, marine technologies, fishing, marine science, government regulation and dozens of other topics that are of critical
A merchant mariner touts a new training program for Maine’s Midcoast
David Flanagan of Thomaston works as a captain of large oceangoing vessels that perform a variety of tasks for the Military Sealift Command. Currently he’s towing decommissioned ships into lay-up. His last trip found him in Hawaii, around Pearl Harbor, but in his job — chief mate or captain — he can expect to be
Sailing Away From Winter: A Cruise from Nova Scotia to Florida and Beyond
Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Ltd. Soft cover: 368 pp. $17.95 U.S., 2007 Getting There is 99 Percent of the Fun Cruising books are a genre, like biographies, self-help books or stories about vampires. A few cruising books (Joshua Slocum comes to mind) are so good that they become classics. Many are truly forgettable, and a
Bad Meat
To the editor: Last Sunday’s recall of 143 million pounds of beef by the U.S. Department of Agriculture should provide a loud and clear wakeup call that federal inspection is not adequate to ensure a safe meat supply. This largest meat recall in U.S. history was actually brought on by an animal rights organization’s undercover
PEI tuna fishermen shift their market from Japan to U.S.
Fishermen today are keener and hungrier than they used to be, says Walter Bruce, long-time fisherman from South Lake, Prince Edward Island (PEI). With 48 years on the water, Bruce has fished a variety of species, with his bread and butter today being the lucrative North Shore lobster fishery. But if you want to talk
Eastport-bound ship loses power, concerns LNG opponents
On Jan. 12 at approximately 6 a.m., the 425-foot cargo ship Alexandergracht was steaming through Head Harbour Passage, inbound for Eastport, when she lost power. Using his experience, and training — as well as the ship’s two anchors and bow thruster — Eastport harbor pilot Capt. Gerald Morrison secured the vessel and kept a mishap