Rockland's Harbor Mgmt Commission ponders state of breakwater, Harbor Park changes, more.

Listen at this link to the 55 minute long 5/17/16 Rockland Harbor Mgmt Commission meeting, in which commissioners and guests discuss those things that arise as spring finally arrives at this lobstering and tourism harbor, midway up the Maine coast. Topics ranged from state of the Rockland Breakwater, the fate of a long derelict ferryboat Monhegan anchored inside the breakwater, to reconfiguring Harbor Park and more. Speakers included Melissa Maker, Chair, Howie Edwards, Jr from the Rockland Port District, and lobsterman/workboater Richard Whitman. Rockland's new harbormaster Matt Ripley also spoke. Steve Betts of Bangor Daily News was there. Guests on the recording begin with Mike Grondin, Rockland tree warden and blind advocate of the Americans with Disability Act, and his concerns with the reduced accessibility of Rockland Breakwater, to disabled persons, due to gaps on the walking surface from shifting blocks of stone, and Ron Huber of Friends of Penobscot Bay. Later, a presentation by two engineer consultants from Milone & MacBroom on reconfiguring Harbor Park to improve public access and services where the blues festival and Maine lobster festival are held and cruise ship passengers come ashore . A good mix of people on and overseeing this important city commission.

Rockland Breakwater - Texters beware!

Rockland Breakwater - texters beware.

Many an ankle has been broken by incautious visitors . 

See image of full causeway (arrow points to  site below)

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Closeup of above, looking toward land

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Upper end of the main intertidal fissure

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Closeup of above

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The one below almost got me when I wasn't looking.

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Another foot catcher

Getting lost between Matinicus and Rockland

It's the sort of minor tale of the sea that that "the Humble Farmer' might memorialize on his weekly radio show:

Lobster boat leaves Matinicus Island and becomes lost on en route to Rockland.

Was it storming? Did deep fogs fill the mouth of the bay? Was the crew desperately ill, or worse? Apparently not. Skies were clear. It was a little after 3 in the morning, and their chart plotter was broken and it was blowing about 15 knots out of the southwest, with a 4 foot swell. But still...

Coast Guard Station Rockland's public releases on the hapless lobster boat's two October 23rd incidents follow:

23 October
At 2:55am, Station Rockland received a report of a 40 foot lobster boat with two people on board that was disabled near Matinicus Island. When no commercial providers responded to the Marine Assistance Request Broadcast, Station Rockland responded with its 47' Motor Life Boat and Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Scott Self as the Coxswain.

Two and one half hours later:

At 5:39am, the MLB arrived on scene, took the boat in tow and proceeded to Matinicus Island. At 6:37am, just outside Matinicus Harbor, the boat was able to regain propulsion and the tow was dropped. The disable boat went into the harbor and the MLB returned to Rockland. Case Closed.

Four Hours Later

23 October
At 9:50am, Station Rockland received a report from the same boat they had just towed, that they were underway enroute Rockland when their chart plotter had broken and they didn't have any local charts. They did have GPS, but no way to tell where they were. Another commercial fishing vessel over heard the radio traffic, was near their position and offered to help. The commercial fishing vessel was able to locate the lobster boat and escort them back to Rockland. Case Closed.

CWO3 Curtis Barthel
Commanding Officer
CG Station Rockland

Matinicus is about 18 miles from Rockland. Its hard to think of any lobsterman who couldn't navigate this pretty straightforward route

The answer? They were delivering the lobsterboat from Away.

The Coasties didn't reveal whether they were downeasters bringing a lobster boat from Jonesport, or up from Portland, or even Canadians.

MDEP nixes Samoset pier! Rockland Breakwater lobstering saved!

Rockland harbor lobstering, recreational fishing saved from resort pier plan.

Maine Department of Environmental Protection has rejected a proposal by Samorock to build a 550 foot pier in the scenic and fishery-rich waters adjacent to the Rockland Breakwater. The agency cited impacts to irreplaceable scenic resources, and noted the proposal's potential impacts to existing lobstering, recreational fishing and swimming uses of the site.

Maine DEP permit reviewer James Cassida wrote today: " The denial was issued by the Department on April 12th."

Rockland harbor lobsterman Arthur Johnson said "A lot of fishermen depend on Rockland harbor for their living. This is prime fishing area and next to a National Historic Landmark. This area should be protected forever from development of this type."

This marks the second time opponents of Samoset's pier plans have prevailed.
The city of Rockland's harbor commission has received a proposal to zone the harbor waters near the breakwater as a lobster fishing area. This would prevent future attempts at encroachment by marina sprawl wannabes.

Samoset has threatened to block public access to the historic breakwater if it didn't get its way. It is also seeking a zoning change from the city of Rockland allowing it to double the density of condominiums it has proposed to build near the breakwater.

Fat chance on either!

Chilloa-ing effect on free speech at Maine Fishermen's Forum

Struggle to protect nearshore fishing grounds divides forum organizers. Opponents of efforts by the Samoset Resort to gain state permission to build a 550 foot yacht pier in a nearby Rockland Harbor commercial lobstering area brought their grievances to the Maine Fishermen's Forum in the form of a flyer featuring a photo of a lobsterman fishing the area that would be "taken" by the Samoset for its pier, floats, dozens of moorings and its no-fishing yacht access lanes.

The popular Fishermen's Forum brings hundreds of Maine lobstermen and other fishworkers together each year for three days of networking and seminars on the industry, marine science and fishery regulations

The flier about the breakwater controversy was liberally distributed throughout the Forums' display table areas on several days.

On Saturday, copies of it reached Samoset officials, and shortly after that, a grim-faced Chilloa Young, forum organizer, stalked through the halls with Maine SeaGrant official Paul Anderson sheepishly in tow, seizing about half of the offending literature before it was taken up by fishermen browsing over the dozens of display tables.

Asked if she had vetted all fliers at the Forum, or was quashing the lobstermen's complaint at the bidding of the resort, Young said that only those that paid for display space could distribute fliers at the event. (Needless to say, a small but significant percentage of the fliers at the Forum were from groups that had NOT paid for space, but being inoffensive to the owners of the facility, remained on display.)

The flier's distributors learned an important lesson: the bright red headlines of the second wave of fliers made them easy prey for the censors. The black and white version distributed Thursday apparently escaped their attention.

The incident showed both the clout of the well-connected Samoset resort's owners, who are being represented before state environmental agencies by the governor's brother Robert Baldacci, and the timidity of the commercial fishing industry's boosters in Maine, who frequently look the other way when big development projects gnaw away important inshore fishing grounds. Tsk tsk Chilloa and Paul...Whose side are you on, anyway?