By Debra Benveniste

It was a cool and overcast day on July 7 at 3PM as 150 of us gathered at Mitchell Field to be loaded onto school buses and taken to our boat, the Bay Mist operated by Casco Bay Lines, which was docked and waiting for us at the Dolphin Marina & Restaurant. The Bay Mist is a 90’ long, flat bottomed boat originally built to travel the Hudson River which made it especially useful for navigating low water depth areas between islands on our cruise. A large buffet of fruit, cheese and crackers, veggies, beverages and sweets welcomed us as we boarded the boat. For those of us seeking shelter, the table arrangement on the decks allowed for meeting new people while some hardy souls spent the trip on the bow.

As we headed out, our narrator, Executive Director Matt Newberg, presented an informative, entertaining, and comprehensive talk describing some of Harpswell’s 200+ islands, their history, a famous inhabitant and his unusual behavior, and Harpswell’s relationship with the Navy. An area on the mainland familiar to most of us and where our trip originated and ended, Mitchell Field previously belonged to the Federal government. In 1954, it was christened the Casco Bay Fuel Depot where fourteen storage tanks located in an area the size of two football fields were filled by oil tankers holding 130,000 gallons of oil each. A pipeline was built to connect the tanks to the Brunswick Naval Air Station. In 1992, after it became less expensive to truck fuel to the Air Station than to use the pipeline, the fuel depot was decommissioned. Ten years later, due to the efforts of local townsperson Roberta Weil and Senator George Mitchell, ownership of the area was transferred to the Town of Harpswell.[1] We did our part for the war effort but Mitchell Field has since been transformed into a site promoting peaceful activities with walking paths, a beach, a bandstand, the Harpswell Community Garden and most recently, a public boat launch.

As we chugged past, we were told about Eagle Island, another historical standout. Admiral Robert Peary, the first explorer to reach the North Pole with his expedition in 1909, built his summer home there. It is now a state historical site. Reportedly, he continued to board his 50 sled dogs on Upper Flag Island and would call into a large megaphone to get them to stop howling.

Other interesting highlights about Harpswell’s islands includes Cousins Island which houses a wood-fired generator, serving as a backup system for CMP, and Halfway Island which features an attractive lighthouse. However, most of Harpswell’s islands are either privately owned and/or undeveloped as a result of easements and preserves. Three organizations manage the majority of these land holdings: Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT), the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT).

The Harpswell Heritage Land Trust preserves include Potts Point Preserve which has extensive tidal pools and excellent views of Casco Bay. Curtis Farm Preserve offers an all-season trail system, an accessible picnic area and seasonal views of Mt Washington. Shelter Island is protected by an HHLT easement. Birch Island has two private preserves as well as protections from HHLT and the MCHT. Little Birch Island and the southern two-thirds of Haskell Island which provide important seabird nesting habitat are owned by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The Maine Coast Heritage Trust owns Whaleboat Island which at 122 acres is the largest uninhabited island in Harpswell. The southern half of Lower Goose Island is protected by an MCHT conservation easement. Maine Coast Heritage Trust owns all of the Goslings which are open to the public for picnicking and camping and Little Whaleboat Island which has two campsites. These organizations work in tandem to ensure that Harpswell’s unique island system is maintained to provide shorebird and wildlife habitat as well as nature-based activities for residents and tourists.

As the result of these easements and preserves throughout the islands, we were able to see some marine wildlife from our boat including seals, porpoises, and various seabirds. Many people said that this was not their first time on the cruise. They return because they enjoy seeing the islands from the water, and they want to support HHLT. The summer cruise is a highlight of HHLT’s programming—a delightful way to learn about HHLT’s preserves and easements and appreciate Harpswell’s special character as seen from the ocean.

[1] “Before Mitchell Field: ‘The fuel farm’ provided steady employment for locals — and an industrial playground for their kids” – The Harpswell Anchor