Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors

09/09/2026

For artist Karin Strong, painting en plein air is about capturing the fleeting beauty of Maine’s landscapes, wildlife, water, and light. Working outdoors gives her roughly two hours before the changing light transforms the scene, bringing urgency and energy to every painting.
A longtime painter and former natural history illustrator, Strong found a creative home in Midcoast Maine. She is a founding member of the Midcoast Maine Plein Air Artists, a group that has grown from 20 artists in 2019 to more than 160 today.

From schooners and harbor views to peregrine falcons, quarries, forests, and sunrise over the water, Strong’s work celebrates the “non-stop beauty” of Maine’s land, sea, sky, and wildlife.

Read more about this local artist and where to see her work at the link: https://buff.ly/dMWnFNr

Photo 1: Strong at a paint-out with the Midcoast Maine Plein Air Artists at Wheeler Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Spruce Head, October 2025. Photo by Peggy Hoganson
Photo 2: Strong is devoted to early morning light. “Sunrises in Maine are sublime,” she writes. Sunrise over Owls Head, 2024, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 inches. Photo courtesy Karin Strong

09/06/2026

McCoy, a 3-year-old black Labrador retriever, has found his feet—all 4 of them—in summer pastimes, whether they unfold inland on Camden’s Lake Megunticook, where his people, Sarah and Randy Whitney, have a camp, or at sea with some of their friends on Penobscot Bay. Be it aboard a 41-foot sailing ketch, on a neighbor’s paddleboard, or in the Whitneys’ own 13-foot Whaler, McCoy’s tail is wagging when he’s on the water. The pup loves to go wading, and barking at loons and mallards is his idea of a fun time, indeed. He willingly hops aboard anything that floats, and he can pick a Milk Bone out of the air, much like Superman bites a speeding bullet, the Whitneys report. With such a bountiful summer playground, the off season away from Maine can be a long one, but McCoy makes the best of it with long walks in the woods or play dates with his hound friends at a leash-free pooch park. As the Whitneys say, “Ahoy, McCoy!”

09/04/2026

Where is Ceres?

Has anyone seen a ship’s figurehead of Ceres that once adorned a vessel named the Glenmorag? Ryan Mayfield’s family owned the artifact but lost it in 1983 when his grandmother failed to pay the person restoring the figurehead. Mayfield’s great-great-grandfather, William Begg was an able-bodied seaman on the Glenmorag. While carrying a cargo from Chile to Portland, Oregon, the vessel wrecked at the mouth of the Columbia River in Washington State. Begg salvaged the figurehead and it remained in the family for nearly 90 years. The last trace Mayfield can find is April 28, 1991, when Ceres was sold at auction in New London, Conn.

If you have information on where to locate this family heirloom, drop us a note in our messages!

08/29/2026

Baking Up Sweet Careers

At Mid-Coast School of Technology in Rockland, baking and pastry students are learning that the kitchen is more than a classroom; it’s a place to build careers, creativity, and confidence. Under the guidance of longtime industry professional Steven Watts, students master everything from breads and pastries to elaborate wedding cakes, chocolate sculptures, and commercial baking. They gain hands-on experience in the school’s public-facing Osprey Nest Café while learning the technical and professional skills needed to succeed in the industry. The results are impressive. Students have earned gold medals at the CTE Statewide Skills Competition, while graduates go on to culinary programs, apprenticeships, and careers throughout Maine.

For these students, it’s about more than following a recipe. It’s about combining art, science, creativity, and craftsmanship to turn a passion for baking into a future.

Find the full story at the link: https://buff.ly/htLllTK

Photo 1: Kady Bickel (left) and Mary Johnson baked up a 2026 gold medal-winning wedding cake. The CTE Statewide Skills Competition showcases student talent, professionalism, and technical ability. Photo courtesy Steven Watts
Photo 2: (From left to right) Baking & Pastry program students create edible centerpieces for the school’s Osprey Nest Café, including a 100-pound chocolate castle, elaborate Easter eggs, and a whimsical octopus. Photos courtesy Steven Watts
Photo 3: Instructor Steven Watts displays chocolate roses hand-crafted by his students. Watts spent 27 years owning and operating renowned local restaurants before taking the reins of the school’s Baking & Pastry program. Photo by Ted Hugger

08/26/2026

Way Back Wednesday!

Lines taken from a classic Thomas Fleming Day pulling boat at the Penobscot Museum resulted in a handsome replica that proved to be equally delightful to row.

For the story and photos, click here https://buff.ly/7hAZz0a

08/22/2026

Sailing back to Owls Head today we were treated to a sail by of the Pride of Baltimore. What surprises, the coast of Maine in summer!

08/22/2026

Tall Ships by Day. Drone Show by Night.

Boothbay Harbor brought Maine’s maritime heritage and modern technology together for Celebration 250, honoring America’s 250th birthday. The festivities featured six historic schooners gathering in the harbor, including the Bowdoin, the 1921 schooner built at Hodgdon Brothers Yard in East Boothbay. Saturday night, the harbor sky came alive with an incredible 650-drone light show, creating custom 3D images synchronized to music. From traditional wooden ships to cutting-edge technology, the celebration was a spectacular reminder of where we’ve come from, and where we’re headed.

Did you see it?

Full story linked here: https://buff.ly/0cMmGMJ

Photo 1: Celebration 250 in Boothbay was a homecoming party for the schooner Bowdoin, built in 1921 at the Hodgdon Brothers Yard in East Boothbay. Photo courtesy of the Maine Maritime Academy
Photo 2: The intricate images created by synchronized drones in the night sky require a good deal of behind-the-scenes engineering. Photo courtesy Northern Light Drone Shows
Photo 3: Rows of glowing drones await the launch command. Photo courtesy North Light Drone Shows

08/19/2026

Three generations. One family. And a serious need for speed.

For the Osgoods of Vinalhaven, lobsterboat racing is more than a sport; it’s a family tradition built around the boats they fish. David Osgood caught the racing bug as a teenager watching Maine’s legendary lobsterboat rivalries. His father Alfred soon followed, launching Starlight Express and pushing working lobsterboats into the 50+ mph range. David eventually raced Split S.E.C.O.N.D., and the next generation, Steven, followed with Shootin’ S.T.A.R.

The best part? These aren’t just race boats. When the weekend is over, they go right back to hauling traps. Now, three-year-old Deacon is already fascinated by lobstering, boats, and going fast, meaning the Osgood racing legacy may be just getting started.

Read the full story at the link: https://buff.ly/BG7QVCd

Photo 1: A pair of legends: the Holland family’s 32-foot Red Baron squares off against Andrew Gove’s 36-foot Uncle’s UFO. Photo by Brian Robbins
Photo 2: From left: The racing Osgoods include David, Alfred, Steven, and Steven’s son Deacon—who already knows what it’s like to go 50-plus mph in a lobsterboat. Photo by Brian Robbins

08/17/2026

Could golden eagles be returning to Maine?

Golden eagles once nested in Maine, but the state hasn’t documented a successful nesting pair in more than four decades. Once home to an estimated 10–12 nesting pairs, Maine’s golden eagle population declined dramatically in the mid-20th century. Now, a new statewide monitoring effort by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is using bait sites, trail cameras, and volunteers to track these elusive birds. So far, golden eagles have been documented in 20 Maine townships, raising an exciting possibility: could Maine soon see its first confirmed nesting golden eagles in more than 40 years?

For biologists and lifelong eagle enthusiasts alike, it’s a story of conservation, perseverance, and hope for the return of one of Maine’s most magnificent and mysterious raptors.

Read our full story at the link: https://buff.ly/EBt3KIh

Photo 1: Golden eagles, including this sub-adult, use thermals (heat radiating from the earth) to soar effortlessly in search of jackrabbits and other prey.
Photo 2: Biologist Ron Joseph is seen here in May 1980 banding three eaglets. Most pairs raise one or two young. Three youngsters are a reflection of their parents’ superb hunting skills.
Photo 3: These youngsters, born in mid-March, are about a month old based on the emergence of their primary wing feathers. Most will take their maiden flights at 10 weeks of age.

Photos by Kent Keller

08/13/2026

Sailors have lost a honest voice for life at sea and a tireless advocate for safe voyaging. John Rousmaniere will be missed.

Eight Bells: John Rousmaniere (1944–2026)

Sailor, historian, author and tireless advocate for safety at sea, John Rousmaniere shaped how generations understood offshore sailing—and why we are drawn to it.

The author of A Berth to Bermuda, Fastnet, Force 10 and The Annapolis Book of Seamanship, John completed nine Newport Bermuda Races and was inducted into the Bermuda Race Roll of Honour in 2024. His wisdom, curiosity and commitment to making sailing safer leave an enduring legacy.

Read the full tribute to our past historian by current Bermuda Race Historian Sheila McCurdy and Steven Tsuchiya: https://bermudarace.com/eight-bells-john-rousmaniere-roll-of-honour-inductee-and-author-of-a-berth-to-bermuda/