Maritime Heritage
“ The voice of the sea speaks to the soul .” — Kate Chopin
A Rich Seafaring Past that Set the Course for a Maritime Future
From the moment the first peoples of Maine came to the water ’ s edge to collect the bounty offered by the sea , people here have built their lives and livelihoods around the changing tides . Some found their way with fishing or shellfish harvesting ; others carved great slabs of Ice Age granite from the earth . Others built and piloted ships that sailed the world ’ s oceans . Some even changed the course of history like a group of true patriots did during a small naval battle back in 1775 .
Whether you come to kayak or dine on a sumptuous shore dinner , the evidence of the working waterfront is everywhere you look in places and experiences that capture the extensive and widely diverse relationship the DownEast Acadia region has with the ocean . Ascend the Penobscot Narrows Bridge to gain some perspective of the astounding beauty of the DownEast Acadia region . Upriver , Bucksport welcomes visitors to enjoy it ’ s thriving arts scene . Down the Blue Hill Peninsula , visit Castine with its deep-water harbor that is home to the Maine Maritime Academy .
Maine ’ s reputation for building swift and sturdy sailing ships lives on in the charming town of Brooklin , where the Wooden Boat School passes on generations-old skills and modern boat crafting techniques . Beals Island , long home to many of Maine ’ s top boat builders now attracts adventurous hikers and paddlers due to its proximity to the Great Wass Island Preserve . Travelers here can also catch up on the latest in marine education and fisheries innovation with a visit to the Downeast Institute .
What might be one of the best and easiest ways to experience our working waterfronts ’ culture is to spend time at the town pier . From there , you can take in typical bustling scene as fishermen hoist crates of lobster , hose down their boats , and row back to shore . Some times of the year , many wharves process clams , quahogs , and scallops . Fishermen harvest seaweed , net elvers , or dive for urchin to send around the world .
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