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Stonington Islands in Great Shape, Visitor Survey Finds

The vast majority of island visitors to the Stonington area believe that the Trail sites in that region are being maintained in good condition.

That finding, from a survey of 361 island visitors conducted last summer, is a welcome confirmation that your member-supported stewardship efforts are paying off. At the height of the season in one of the most popular sections of the Trail, some 98% of visitors surveyed rated their trip to Trail islands as either “good” or “very good.” Moreover, nearly everyone who completed a survey described his or her experience on the Trail as either “valuable” or “extremely valuable.”

Meeting Visitor Expectations As gratifying as those results

may be, MITA’s Trail Director Dave Mention says that those numbers tell only part of the story—and arguably not the most important part. The real news to emerge from this project is

In This Issue

Celebrating a CareerSee page 2

A Minnesotan Conquers MaineSee page 3

A Lobsterman-Led CleanupSee page 14

(continued on page 6)

(continued on page 10)

The Island TrailThe Newsletter of the Maine Island Trail Association • Summer 2007

Welch Named Executive Director Long-Planned Transition Prepares MITA for New ChallengesBy Kevin Lomangino

Like many of us involved with MITA, Doug Welch began his love affair with islands during the lazy Maine coast summers of his childhood. Each year his family rented a rustic camp on John’s Bay near Damariscotta, where Doug would spend countless hours exploring the local coves and islands on foot or by rowboat.

Looking back on those adventures now, says Doug, it is clear that they were more than just an idyllic way to enjoy his summer vacations. They also formed the foundation for a life’s work devoted to islands.

“The sense of discovery that you have when you land on an island for the first time is something very special and it’s worth protecting,” Doug says. “I want to be part of projects that not only preserve islands but also make them more accessible to respectful users.”

He observes that thoughtful visitors not only care for islands in the short term, but also gradually build political constituencies for their care over the long term. “Given that orientation,” he adds, “joining MITA was truly the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Nationwide Search Doug was named MITA’s new

Executive Director in March, following a five-month search that screened dozens of well-qualified candidates from around the country. Board Chairman Tony Jessen, who organized the seven-member search committee, says that Doug is the right person to lead during a time of unprecedented change on the Maine coast.

“The past decade has been a time of tremendous growth not only for the Trail but also for MITA’s infrastructure,” Tony notes. “We were lucky to have Karen Stimpson here to guide MITA through this period, and now we are incredibly fortunate to have someone with Doug’s skills and energy to build on those accomplishments and take us to the next level.”

Karen Stimpson, MITA’s outgoing Executive Director, concurred with that assessment, noting that Doug’s acceptance of the position completes a transition she had long contemplated for herself and for MITA. “I am truly delighted with this choice,” she says, “and I think MITA will benefit tremendously from Doug’s background and fresh perspective.”

Doug Welch with wife Caitlin and daughter Genevieve in Blue Hill.

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A festive group of more than 100 friends, colleagues, and associates gathered at the Portland Yacht Club in Falmouth recently to celebrate Karen Stimpson’s many important accomplishments during a 17-year career at the Maine Island Trail Association.

Karen started at the then-fledgling organization in 1990 as its Trailkeeper, and rose to become its Executive Director in 1998. She has guided the organization through a period of tremendous expansion and has helped establish MITA as a model for water trail management throughout the country.

The evening culminated with a stirring tribute to Stimpson delivered by friends and colleagues. They acknowledged her commitment to protecting the coastal environment and praised her role in engineering MITA’s growth over the past decade.

MITA’s founder, Dave Getchell, noted that when he hired Karen as Trailkeeper in 1990, he was the organization’s sole part-time employee helping to manage a Trail consisting of 38 public islands and a few private sites. Under Stimpson’s able stewardship, however, the Trail has more than tripled in size and now includes some 162 island and mainland sites that are available for public access.

Steve Spencer, Recreational Specialist at the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, praised Stimpson’s support for a sometimes-controversial approach to island management. He noted that as the Trail’s popularity has risen, pressure has mounted for MITA to regulate island access through more restrictive mechanisms such as reservation systems and uniformed enforcement patrols. However, he said Stimpson has resisted these calls and

has remained a champion of visitor education and voluntary compliance with capacity guidelines as the primary island management tools.

Spencer also read from a letter that Maine Governor John Baldacci wrote to Stimpson to commemorate the occasion. Baldacci said that under Stimpson’s leadership, MITA has accomplished “outstanding successes” in providing public access to Maine’s coastal islands and teaching visitors

to care for the islands. “You have been a tireless and effective advocate for responsible public access to the coast and islands,” he wrote. “Your efforts have helped to ensure that the islands are cared for, appreciated, and that they will

be accessible for generations to come. Thank you Karen Stimpson!”

After a stream of well-wishing toasts and tributes, Karen herself took the microphone to rousing applause from the assemblage. In her trademark self-deprecating style, she deflected the praise from herself and bestowed it on the MITA volunteers whom she said were the real engine behind the organization’s success. She singled out MITA founder Dave Getchell and the BPL’s Steve Spencer for their vision in establishing the Trail’s unique model. She also lauded Sid Quarrier, a long-time MITA volunteer who has logged thousands of hours in the office and on the islands supporting the organization’s mission, as well as Tom Franklin, who currently volunteers full-time as MITA’s Director of Marketing and Membership.

Karen recently accepted the position of Executive Director of the Coastal Humane Society in Brunswick, Maine. We wish Karen the best as she pursues her passion for the care of unwanted & abused animals.

MITA BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Peter Adams, Yarmouth ME Greg Barmore, Harpswell ME • Bill Brown, Brooksville ME • Scott Camlin, Belmont MA

Steve Gent, Cape Elizabeth ME • Kathryn Henry, Waitsfield VT • Rodger Herrigel, Phippsburg ME

Tony Jessen, Freeport ME • Annette Naegel, Camden ME • Chuck Remmel, Portland ME • Joan Smith,

Portland ME • Greg Shute, Wiscasset ME • Stafford Soule, Freeport ME • Steve Spencer, Augusta ME •

Natalie Springuel, Bar Harbor ME • Hans Underdahl, Yarmouth ME •Rod Vogel, Cumberland ME •

Jeremy Wintersteen, Boston MA Julie Wormser, Littleton MA

STAFFDoug Welch • dwelch@mita.org

Executive Director

Patricia Dano • pdano@mita.orgBusiness Manager

Tom Franklin • marketing@mita.orgDirector of Marketing & Membership

Lisa Kelley • membership@mita.orgMembership Manager

Kevin Lomangino • kevinl@maine.rr.comNewsletter Editor

Brian Marcaurelle • brian@mita.orgStewardship Manager

Dave Mention • trail@mita.orgTrail Director

Peg Willauer-Tobey • development@mita.orgDevelopment Coordinator

Pro-bono newsletter design services by Jillfrances Gray

JFG Graphic Design|Art Direction

The Maine Island Trail is a 350-mile long waterway extending from Cape Porpoise on the west to Machias

Bay on the east. Along the route, state-owned and private islands are available to members or the public for overnight stopovers where one can picnic or camp

in a wilderness setting.

The Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) is a nonprofit conservation organization, whose goal is to establish a model of thoughtful use and volunteer stewardship for

the Maine islands that will assure their conservation in a natural state while providing an exceptional recreational

asset that is maintained and cared for by the people who use it. This goal is achieved by encouraging a philosophy of low-

impact use and environmental awareness among MITA’s members and island visitors.

MAINE ISLAND TRAIL ASSOCIATION58 Fore Street, Building 30, 3rd Floor

Portland, ME 04101(207) 761-8225 • info@mita.org

www.mita.org

Vol. 18 No. 1

Celebrating a Career in Island Conservation

The guest of honor received many well- deserved accolades from the governor, friends, and colleagues.

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Why did a boat built in Minnesota become the first to travel the Maine Island Trail from end to end? MITA’s founder tells the unlikely story of how the Lunds came to Maine and why they’ve remained our flagship design for nearly 20 years.

MITA and 18-foot Lund skiffs have been married from day one to the present, and the long-lasting bond appears solid for the future. Considering how often things change today, one might wonder how this unusual situation came to be. Having been intimately involved in bringing about this marriage, I thought this might be a good time to tell the story behind the nuptials before all is lost in the dustbin of time.

The beginning starts in the winter of 1979, long before MITA was even a dream. In fact, another dream was its genesis, one formed at the base of an ice cliff in Camden. Geof Heath, a first-rate ice climber, and I (third-rate at best) had just completed a satisfying day of picking our way up frozen waterfalls. In a moment of elation, Geof uttered what were to be the first words of an exciting journey: “Let’s go on an expedition.”

A Longing for LabradorBoth of us were fans of the late

British explorer H.W. Tilman, who had sailed his wooden pilot cutters literally to the ends of the earth on climbing expeditions with only a few like-minded companions. Also an experienced boatbuilder, Geof was just completing a handsome Friendship sloop.

“There are some great mountains in northern Labrador,” he said. “We could sail the sloop there!” His enthusiasm caught me. I agreed.

Reality took over in the following days. Labrador was a long way off and northern Labrador was even “offer.” Friendship sloops are pretty and seaworthy but agonizingly slow; it would take months to get there and

more months to return home. Neither of us had that kind of time. We needed something just the opposite—reasonably fast and cheap. We didn’t have much money and no sponsors. Owning a 14-foot aluminum skiff, I suggested an alternative.

“If we could find a big aluminum skiff we would have a boat that could be trailered behind my Scout from Maine to Newfoundland in just a couple of days,” I said. “With relatively low power we could sneak along the coast and carry enough

fuel to get us from one distant port to the next, and could haul up on the beach at night safe from the weather and while we went climbing. And we could modify it almost as easily as we could one made of wood. Not very aesthetic but practical as hell.”

Plan B Takes ShapeDisappointed but realistic, Geof

went along. Now all we had to do was find the right boat. I turned to the boat catalogs (this was long before the Internet) and started looking. Soon I discovered an unpleasant fact: open

tin skiffs stopped in length at 16 feet, which was just not big enough for our needs. Then, late in the hunt and ready to give it all up as a bad idea, I came across a Lund catalog. And there it was! The barebones S-18—already well known in the Midwest, where it was built, and popular in Alaska —looked to be the perfect boat for our low-budget needs.

Then, more disappointment—no northeastern dealers. I called Lund and talked with a knowledgeable sales rep. I told him our plans.

Yes, he said, the S-18 could carry a sizable load. Despite its size and though it was rated for 55 horsepower, it would go well with 25 horsepower. “Seaworthy?” He answered my question, “I’ve had one out of sight of land in the Gulf of Mexico using a 25.” I heard a salesman talking. “Yes, I can give you a good price, but you will have to pick it up in Columbus.”

“Columbus?” I replied, a bit puzzled, “The only Columbus I know is in Ohio.”

“That’s right. Our nearest dealer to you.”

A Rugged Maine Coast Companion, Imported from the PrairieBy Dave Getchell, Sr.

Torngat is set to leave from Rockland during the first trip to cover the entire Maine Island Trail. At left is Julie Caniff of the Island Institute with Steve Spencer, Recreational Specialist for the Bureau of Parks and Lands.

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LETTERSThe Most Beautiful Wooden KayaksDear MITA,

My wife Sheila (Long) Leavitt is the “former student” mentioned in your recent newsletter article, “The Difference a Decade Makes” by Reinhard Zollitsch. [See the Winter 2006-07 issue.] She took Reinhard’s German class at the University of Maine, Orono in his first year there. I have included a photo of one of the hybrid kayaks he talked about in the article (plywood hull and wood strip deck).

I am in the process of establishing a website, SheepscotWoodenKayaks.com, to see if I can attract prospective buyers that want distinctive, light-as-Kevlar, sea kayaks – 40-43 pounds for a 17-foot sea kayak with the glide of a racing hull. The hull pictured below is a multi-chine 22” wide. Under construction is a 16-foot hard chine with two mermaids on the deck. The mermaids will be designed by my daughter Joelle.

Ted Leavitt, Wiscasset, ME

Reinhard Zollitsch, in his article, commented that Ted’s boats were “the most beautiful wooden kayaks I’ve ever seen.” And Reinhard has seen a lot of boats in his many decades pursuing waterborne adventures! Now you can read all about Reinhard’s experiences on the water at his website, www.zollitschcanoeadventures.com, which includes all 51 articles he has written since 1996, including several in German.

Water, Water, Everywhere...

Dear MITA, We just completed a wonderful

six-day kayak trip starting and ending in Jonesport. Thanks so much for making these islands available and known to us! We’re enclosing some comments on our stay at Ram Island in Machias Bay and some info we learned about the difficulty of getting water in Jonesport.

First, regarding the water: Our plan was to carry water for four-plus days, go east from Jonesport to Ram Island, and refill water bags when we came back through Jonesport/Moosabec Reach to the Stevens Island area. What we learned is that there is no public water system in Jonesport, and that good drinking water is scarce. Everyone has their own well, and wells go bad regularly and then need more expensive filters, etc. There is no good water at the fish docks on Great Wass or Jonesport, and probably not on Beals Island either. People we asked said there were public spigots at the Town Hall but both of these

are no longer operating, as the town doesn’t have the money to pay for the required testing. We ended up getting water from a homeowner we talked to when we landed and went looking for the Town Hall.

By asking around some more we found that the Henry Point Campground listed in the Guidebook (known locally as the “Jonesport Campground”) usually provides water.

However, they were awaiting test results on their supply and expecting to have to upgrade their filtration system. They said they’d probably have to charge a dollar a gallon to cover their costs.

As for our Ram Island visit, we stayed there overnight during a several-day

excursion exploring the nearby outer islands as well Halifax, the other MITA island in the area. What a wonderful, rugged, beautiful place! We were very taken by the appropriate level of development—a huge, comfortable tent platform, positioned to have a view of the Libby

The SeaStar’s distinctive deck pattern was inspired by Sheila’s love of quilting.

Becky Pierce approaches Stevens Island during a six-day trip in the Jonesport area.

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What we learned is that there is no public water system in Jonesport, and

that good drinking water is scarce. Everyone has their

own well, and wells go bad regularly and then need

more expensive filters, etc.

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Island Light through a slot in the rocks (!), plus a ladder to go up and down the bank to the beach, without eroding the bank. We left the owner a thank-you note in a Ziploc bag under the trapdoor in the platform, where the owner keeps two folding lawn chairs and a toilet seat for a latrine set-up—the only other furnishings we found on the island.

We landed on the northwest beach as the guidebook recommends, looked for possible campsites, found the tent platform, and paddled around to the southwest cove. The wind was light from the southwest and the waves and surge quite manageable for our non-expert skill levels. The northwest landing is flatter and sandier, and the southwest is steeper and cobbly.

We found no trash or evidence of human visits, no remarkable wildlife, and few boats going by. However, we did see a rotting, washed-up whale carcass on the west side of Libby Island near the Coast Guard boat ramp.

Thanks again for your wonderful work on the islands and for helping us help you maintain them.

Becky Pierce & Mike Prokosch, Dorchester, MA

A call to the Jonesport town offices confirms that there is no public supply of potable water in the town. The campground was still closed for the season as of this writing and we could not obtain an update on their water situation. However, town officials indicated that the water there was unlikely to be drinkable without being treated first. Members should plan accordingly before visiting the area.

Annual Gathering: Save the DateThis year MITA’s Annual Gathering for members will be a campout on

September 15th and 16th at Warren Island State Park in Penobscot Bay. Come and enjoy a fun-filled weekend with fellow boaters and island-lovers. There are several activities planned for kayakers, pocket sailors, hikers and kids, as well as a communal pot luck supper on Saturday night. There is no registration fee and just a small fee of $3 per person to camp for the night.

To get to Warren Island, members will need to arrange their own transport; there is a launch area and ramp at Lincolnville Beach, and moorings are available at Warren on a first-come, first-served basis. If you plan on joining us for the event, please RSVP by August 31 to info@mita.org or 761-8225. Check our website for more information and updates as we get closer to September.

The paddle-a-Lund race is a perennial conference favorite.

“Your Road Service at Sea”®

772-6724

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environment. “This isn’t a zero sum game where every human footprint has to be a degrading force on an island,” Doug comments. “Experience shows quite clearly that many people will, when given the chance, show up with trash bags and try to make things better than how they found them. That is the very ethic we try to instill in MITA members.”

A Vision in ProgressAs for where he sees MITA heading

in the months and years ahead, Doug says that he is actively listening and seeking the comments of MITA’s many constituencies before charting a course for the future. “There is no shortage of great opportunities for us to explore, which are limited primarily by the resources we can bring to bear,” he says. “We’ll decide which ones are appropriate to pursue

first through a process of consultation with the membership, owners, donors, and strategic planning with the Board and staff.”

He notes that all members should have received a survey with their 2007 membership packet, and he asks for everyone to please take the time to complete and return the survey to the office. Doug says that these survey results, along with feedback from his many informal discussions with members and partners, will play a key role in determining his views about how the organization should move forward.

Doug commutes to the office via bicycle from his home in Portland, where he resides with his wife Caitlin and 7- year-old daughter Genevieve. He can be reached by e-mail at dwelch@mita.org.

Observing that Doug understands the needs of the various waterfront players better than most, “I expect that he will lead MITA confidently through the tricky waters that lie ahead,” she added.

A Passionate RealistThat Doug is passionate about

islands is something that comes through almost immediately upon meeting him. But a glance at his impressive resume shows that he is no starry-eyed stranger to the challenging realities of island management.

Prior to joining MITA, Doug spent five years at the Island Alliance of Boston as its Vice President of Business Development and Interim Executive Director. The Island Alliance is the nonprofit lynchpin in the public/private partnership that manages the Boston Harbor Islands National Park. Congress chartered the Park in 1996, but called for a portion of its funding and management to come from the private sector through the activities of the Island Alliance. Doug was on board early working to develop mission-supportive, revenue-producing ventures in the park and helped raise more than $8 million to support park-related activities and projects.

Allowing that there are some important differences between his work in Boston and that which lies ahead of him in Maine, Doug says that his experience leading the Alliance has taught him some important lessons that should apply here in the Pine Tree State. “First, I learned that when you are dealing with islands – which are typically owned by disparate entities – it is fundamentally important to manage in partnership with others,” Doug explains. “In addition to ownership issues, the legal, physical and managerial challenges are often too numerous for any one group to handle alone.”

Another core principle he cites is that human visitation can, where appropriately educated and motivated, be a net benefit not only for people but also for the island

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A Backyard PaddleBy Jay Hui

Out on the Trail this summer, Trail Director Dave Mention met a group of MITA members from the New York-New Jersey area on a group paddle with the Jersey Shore Sea Kayak Association. Interested to learn about their experience with the Trail and MITA, Dave asked the group if they would write about their trip for the newsletter. The resulting article confirms that although the Trail itself may be in Maine, its dedicated stewards can be found well down the East Coast and beyond.

On September fourth, my friend and fellow New York-area resident Warren and I set out on our first official Maine Island Trail paddle—or so we thought, since the remnants of hurricane Ernesto had other plans. Small craft advisories were up and because we were not sure how exposed the trip would be, we postponed the trip to the following day. It didn’t mean we didn’t go out and play. We launched from the public boat launch/marina in Stockton Harbor in the town of Stockton Springs, but we only did a day paddle towards Castine, testing the somewhat more open water south of the harbor itself.

The next day, we officially embarked on the intended four-day circumnavigation of Vinalhaven and North Haven. Our initial plan was to camp either at Butter Island or East Barred the first night, but by the time we got to East Barred, it was only about 1:30 pm and we were both feeling great. We pushed on to Little Hen Island and camped there, sheltered from the wind but not from the mosquitoes. Needless to say, we retired to our tents early after sunset!

We woke up the following day to dense fog and 100-foot visibility, but we were determined to continue the circumnavigation. We knew we had to get to Ram Island for the next MITA campsite on the Trail, or divert to the mainland site which required a shuttle. In any case, we accidentally paddled right past the cove without recognizing the landing site.

After retracing our steps, we eventually found the Ram Island site, where we met up with four other kayakers who arrived there after launching in Rockland. We still felt great, and so we decided to continue on our way. Reaching Butter Island would complete our circumnavigation a day early, so we spent the third day just paddling around the northern islands and checking out the wildlife below the surface and the many harbor seals peeking their heads above.

During our trip, we faced a number of different challenges, including fog, strong currents, fast moving lobsterboats, and mosquitoes. However, the experience overall was very positive and provided a good confidence booster for bigger and longer trips on the Maine Island Trail. It sure has piqued my interest in paddling the Trail in a more linear fashion, especially since we have friends up and down the coast of Maine that we’ve met during our many years of four-season backpacking in the Northeast. I feel that we at least have an idea about the Trail, the conditions one would face, and what the islands are like to camp on.

As a very active person who loves to bike, hike, and paddle, I had heard of MITA long before I even got into paddling. Two years ago, I biked from my house in northern New Jersey to the border of New Brunswick, Canada, near Fosterville. The sense of freedom I get from any kind of touring has led me to research ways to explore the Northeast in non-motorized fashion. Long distance hiking trails (Appalachian Trail, Long Path, Long Trail), biking trails (Adventure Cycling), as well as kayaking trails (MIT, Northern Forest Canoe Trail) are all on my to-do list.

I love getting outdoors and I feel like the entire Northeast is my backyard. In this sense, even though I live about 5 hours (by car!) from Portland, ME, I never feel that far away. I proudly display my MITA sticker on my car and feel a kinship with all of the other adventurers who travel the Trail, no matter where they live. In that regard, the Trail for me is more a state of mind than a physical place. And even though I live “way down” in New Jersey, I care very much about the Trail and feel very much a part of the MITA community of stewards.

Heading towards Butter Island on the north shore of North Haven.

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I gulped, thought of the gas shortage then sweeping the country, considered that I didn’t yet have a trailer, and would have to make the tow with my little VW Rabbit. Whatthehell.

“I’ll take it.”

Eastward Ho!I’ll spare the reader the

transpirations and trepidations of what went on before I drove into my yard in Camden with the “huge” S-18 on a used trailer except to say I was thrilled with the size and obvious quality of the boat. Geof, too, brightened when he saw her and immediately began planning modifications for our trip. I started looking for a motor, rejecting a loaned 18-horsepower Fiat and eventually buying a 25-horsepower Japanese-built Mariner, the single toughest outboard motor I’ve ever seen before or since.

Geof built a seven-foot long, lightweight, fiberglass-covered, raised foredeck that fit into wood channels attached along either gunwale. This could be easily removed. Aft of the foredeck we added a six-foot-long canopy that gave us a nicely protected “cabin” while allowing ample room still further aft for supplies and equipment. A high grab rail was made out of half-inch galvanized pipe so that we could move fore and aft safely over all the gear.

Finding and outfitting the boat took the better part of a year, but in mid-August of 1980 we headed for Canada—New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and across the Strait of Belle Isle to Quebec and north to Red Bay, Labrador, some 1500 miles from home and the end of the road. We headed out from a fisherman’s log launching ramp and turned north—into thick fog.

Testing “Torngat’s” MettleDuring the next four weeks, we

traveled 900 miles up and back along

the wild Labrador coast in some of the finest small-boat cruising waters one could ever hope to find. Torngat, named for a mountain range in northern Labrador, did everything we asked of her in calm and rough seas. Sometimes we beached her and camped ashore. Other times we dropped our two anchors and slept aboard on top of our load of stuff. The Mariner gave us five miles to the gallon, a remarkable mileage given the load it was pushing.

The 900 miles of cruising left me with a feeling of pride and admiration

for our Lund. The salesman had not exaggerated after all! During our expedition and many times after when asked how far we had come, the unbelieving comment was: “In that?” Since I had

paid a fair price for the S-18, I was under no obligation to a sponsor to praise the boat, but whenever asked I did just that.

During the next few years, I used Torngat for cruising and camping on Maine’s lakes and coast. Then, in 1985, I went to work part time for the Island Institute and spent the following summer surveying state-owned islands from Penobscot Bay to Eastport. The Lund was our go-anywhere boat and covered hundreds of miles that summer on the road and coastal waters.

Envisioning a New Water TrailFired by memories of our

Labrador trip and impressed with the “exploring” possibilities of some of the dozens of wild state islands we had visited, I wrote an article for the 1987 Island Journal, the Island Institute’s flagship publication, detailing the potential of a Maine Island Trail.

With some hesitancy because of the possibility of overrunning the islands with recreationists, the Island Institute agreed to support the trail idea, and the Maine Island Trail Association was established in 1988

as a division of the Institute. I was the sole part-time employee with the title of Trail Coordinator. The Lund became my work vehicle as I visited dozens of uninhabited islands looking for landing spots and campsites. Over wide windblown bays and up sunny sheltered salt creeks, Torngat proved her worth. The reliability of boat and motor was never questioned

It was with considerable excitement and a strong sense of exploration that Julie Caniff of the Island Institute, Steve Spencer of the Bureau of Public Lands and I traveled the length of the newly created Maine Island Trail for the first time. Thus, Torngat was the first boat to travel the entire “official” trail.

MITA grew rapidly as more public and private islands came into the trail system. Membership grew also but failed to overrun the islands as feared. The Association bought its first boat, another 18-foot Lund, which supplemented the continuing work of Torngat. A second MITA Lund was soon added.

I was able to step aside with the hiring of Cate Cronin and Karen Stimpson in the early ‘90s, and shortly thereafter MITA was spun off from the Island Institute to become an independent organization.

MITA’s first full-time employees, Cate Cronin (at the tiller) and Karen Stimpson, ease an 18-foot Lund Alaskan into a hole in the cliffs of Maine’s Bold Coast.

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During our expedition and many times after when asked how far we had come,

the unbelieving comment was: “In that?”

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An advantage of the metal flat-bottomed skiff can be seen as it waits in shallow water while the crew gets fresh mussels for dinner.

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Still at Work on the Waterfront

Over the years, the somewhat heavier 18-foot Lund Alaskan was tried and served well, but the S-18, soon to become the SV-18, proved better for MITA’s needs. The boats continued to be powered by the 25s, the only change being from two- to four-cycle outboards. The Association’s present fleet of four Lunds keeps busy throughout the boating season, as handsome a collection of small workboats as one could ask for.

As for my old Lund, I sold it to a member on Casco Bay in 1995, replacing it with an aluminum 16-foot Smoker Craft, a lighter boat than the Lunds although of similar dimensions (except in length). The new boat was fine, but I soon missed the S-18 that had served me so well.

Then, at the Stewardship Meeting in Rockport last year, I saw a familiar hull on a trailer and, sure enough, there were the wood channels that had held the foredeck. The old boat showed her 25-plus hard years but still looked serviceable. And did I hear that it might be coming up for auction soon?

Well now. . .

The rumors are true: although Torngat is

currently in storage, she will be put up for

auction at an as-yet undetermined date.

Keep an eye on these pages or the MITA

website for details. Meanwhile, if you find

yourself in the market for a new vessel,

click the Boats for Sale link at Mita.org to

view used boasts that we are reselling to

support island stewardship.

Member Karyn Roy will be paddling the length of the entire Trail this summer to raise awareness and funding for programs benefiting disabled paddlers. She will be launching from Kennebunkport on June 23 and plans to stop at several major harbors to put on adaptive paddling clinics, slideshows, and demonstrations.

“I have always loved the Maine coast and since I started paddling about 11 years ago, this has been a dream of mine,” Karyn, a special education teacher, said. “I hope it will eventually lead to providing more opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in outdoor activities.”

As of this writing Karyn plans to be in New Harbor on July 11, when participants and volunteers in the Maine Handicapped Skiing program will converge for a day of paddling on the water supported by Maine Kayak. Members can check out the Project Paddle ME website (www.

projectpaddleme.com) and Karyn’s trip blog (www.projectpaddleme.blogspot.com) for updated information about her appearances.

Karyn would enjoy meeting up with fellow MITA members at these events or paddling with them between stops. “I will have some disabled paddlers

joining me for various parts of the paddle, and would like to extend the invitation to any MITA members who would like to join,” she said.

Funds raised by the project will go to Maine Handicapped Skiing, a

non-profit that provides free lessons to hundreds of children and adults with physical disabilities in downhill and cross country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, kayaking, canoeing, golf and cycling. Karyn has set a target fundraising goal of $35,000 and says there is a real need for this level of support.

“I have talked with many people who would like to get into kayaking but might have something stopping them,” she commented. “When I started learning about Maine Handicapped Skiing and all the great opportunities they provide, I knew I wanted to help them somehow. My husband makes prosthetic limbs and it was actually one of his patients who sparked this idea for me.”

Donations can be made online at www.firstgiving.com/projectpaddleme or you can mail them to: Maine Handicapped Skiing, attn: Project Paddle ME, 8 Sundance Lane, Newry, ME 04261.

Expedition to Benefit Paddling Programs for the DisabledBy Kevin Lomangino

A helping hand is needed to get disabled a paddlers on the water.

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not what the survey found but rather that the survey was conducted at all, he contends.

“We think this is an important milestone because it represents the first time that anyone has actively, and with some degree of accuracy, tried to quantify visitor attitudes and perceptions about the islands,” Dave explained. “It’s one thing for me or a Monitor Skipper to tell you that the islands are in great shape, but it’s something different and probably more useful to hear visitors themselves saying, ‘Yes, this is the experience we had hoped for on the Trail.’”

The survey is just one of several initiatives MITA has undertaken to expand its data collection activities. Dave cites the Island Monitoring Task Force, a multi-year project to track markers of social and environmental change on selected islands, as another key project that will yield better and more reliable monitoring data. He comments that these new projects complement our existing member and volunteer-led data collection activities, which have also painted a picture of islands in

overall good health.“What we’re hearing from

visitors confirms data that we’ve been collecting through careful site assessments for many years,” Dave observed. “All the indications are that the islands are doing quite well.”

Shared PrioritiesThe survey was conducted by

Andrea Ednie, a University of Maine graduate student who was in the

Stonington area last summer to collect data for a different study. On days with navigable weather between June 21 and Labor Day, Andrea visited Trail islands and collected the addresses of willing survey participants. She later mailed questionnaires to

those addresses and analyzed the results of the surveys that were returned.

Andrea mailed 427 surveys and received 361 completed responses, for a response rate of 85%. In addition to asking about island conditions, the survey also queried visitors about what makes for a memorable island trip. As the following statistics show, the findings largely confirmed what

MITA has long believed island visitors hope to gain from a trip on the Trail.

• 98% said that scenic quality is “important” or “very important.”

• 84% said that solitude is “important” or “very important.”

• 99.5% said that Leave No Trace practices are “important” or “very important.”

A Natural ExperienceAccording to Dave, the findings

suggest that our priorities are right in line with what island visitors expect MITA to be doing. “What this tells us is that visitors want a natural, scenic experience where evidence of human activity is kept to a minimum,” he commented. He adds that member and volunteer support – whether through membership dues, clean-ups, the monitoring program, or other activity – has been critical to achieving these goals and will continue to be the driving force behind MITA’s island stewardship efforts.

MITA would like to thank the University

of Maine, the Maine Coast Heritage Trust,

Old Quarry Ocean Adventures, and the

Island Heritage Trust for their crucial

participation in and support of this project.

Most visitors surveyed said that they were pleased with their visits to Stonington area islands like Sheep-Stinson, pictured here.

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Nearly every visitor surveyed said that

Leave No Trace practices are “important” or “very important”

on the islands.

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The addition of Hog Island to the Trail represents an important step forward in our relationship with Maine Audubon. Founded in 1843 and boasting some 11,000 members statewide, Maine Audubon is one of the largest and most respected players in the coastal conservation community. They share many of the same goals as MITA and together we can reach more people with important Leave No Trace information.

Given that our missions complement one another in so many ways, the decision to collaborate on Hog Island seemed like a natural progression for both organizations, according to MITA Trail Director Dave Mention.

“This is an exciting new partnership that should have benefits for everyone involved,” Dave commented. “Hog Island is a tremendous resource for members, and I don’t think anyone who is lucky enough to visit will leave the island disappointed.” He added, “At the same time, I think Maine Audubon will appreciate our volunteer-led monitoring and stewardship efforts.”

A Conservation LeaderAlthough its name is synonymous

with birding, Audubon in fact is active on a wide range of fronts that impact wildlife and wildlife habitat. They notably helped lead the charge to approve a bond package that includes $17 million for the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) fund. As development inexorably encroaches on Maine’s remaining wild places, LMF is absolutely critical to maintaining recreational opportunities on the coast and throughout the state. Maine residents will have a chance to vote on the bond in the upcoming November elections.

Bill Hancock, Maine Audubon’s Director of Environmental Centers, agrees that a MITA-Audubon partnership has something in it for everyone. ”We’ve been very impressed with what MITA has done with the islands in Muscongus Bay, and we thought it would be good to have more help looking after Hog,” he said.

Noting that Audubon is always exploring new ways to connect people with the outdoors, Hancock explained that putting the island on the Trail was a logical next step to take. “It’s a good way to collaborate, and it’s something we want to be part of,” he said.

For many members a trip to the 330-acre Hog will be a homecoming of sorts. Throughout the 1990s

MITA held its annual conferences at the northeast end of the island at the developed Hog Island Audubon Camp. Members are welcome to tour the old conference site after checking in at the office in the large white building (“The Bridge”). The tent platforms for overnight camping are located on the southeast end of the island opposite Hog Island ledge.

Guided ExpeditionsAnother way to experience the

island is to participate in one of several joint MITA-Audubon guided trips that will use Hog as a base camp. One of the upcoming trips is geared toward paddlers and will explore some of the special places that make Muscongus bay such a wonderful and diverse ecosystem. Another naturalist-led trip aboard Audubon’s MV Puffin-V will seek to identify birds, flora and fauna during a glorious morning tour of the bay.

According to Mention, the new trips are part of an effort to provide more MITA-themed opportunities to explore the coast and socialize with other members. “One thing I hear pretty frequently is that members don’t just want a guidebook of the islands, they want us to help them get out there safely and show them things they wouldn’t necessarily have seen on their own,” Dave said. Information about these and other trips is available on the MITA calendar on the back page of this newsletter or on our website, www.mita.org/calendar.php.

For more information about Maine

Audubon activities and accomplishments,

visit www.maineaudubon.org

PARTNER PROFILEAudubon Partnership Features New Access, Guided Expeditions

Hog Island would make a great base camp for exploring other islands in Muscongus Bay, including Crow Island, pictured here.

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Given that our missions complement

one another in so many ways, the decision to collaborate on Hog

Island seemed like a natural progression for

both organizations, according to MITA Trail Director Dave Mention.

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Television isn’t the only place where seemingly impossible events take place on a remote island. As volunteer Meg Miller explains, happenings on Casco Bay’s own Jewell Island can rival anything you’ll see on ABC’s supernatural thriller “Lost.”

As a perennial volunteer for MITA, I am treated to an entire buffet of “work” opportunities in and out of the third floor headquarters on Fore Street. As much as I enjoy the spring and fall cleanups that allow me the chance to explore (and help spruce up) many beautiful MITA sites, there’s an off-season office routine that gives me this same opportunity in a more figurative, imaginary sense.

I am one of the volunteers who take all the data, including comments, that visitors write (scribble, jot, scratch) into the log books we collect at MITA sites each fall and enter them into the database. Yes, we read (decode, decipher) and record everything written in these journals, although technology cannot do justice to the artists’ sunset sketches, the soloists’ heartfelt poetry, or the vengefully flattened mosquito.

When Stewardship Manager Brian Marcaurelle hands me a Jewell Island log book to enter into the system, he knows I am about to embark on a simultaneous mission. I am going on a ghost hunt, searching for that one evasive log entry that confirms that I am not the only one who has seen ghosts on Jewell, the outer Casco Bay island that still harbors legends of piracy and remnants of wartime.

Back in the seventies, I loved to explore Jewell Island with my cruising family. We dared to climb the steep, rusting stairs and rickety ladders in both military lookout towers (long before MITA helped make these passages safer), we circled the farmhouse that has since crumbled, pretended we were prisoners in any structure with steel bars that we came upon, and we watched crabs and even lobsters scurry off when we swooshed our hands through rockweed while wading at the Punch Bowl.

I felt like I knew the island inside and out, which is why I didn’t mind hiking the worn dirt paths alone. Often I would meet up with other island explorers while I wandered around, so I never felt like I was going solo anyway. On this particular summer day in 1978, I was fifteen years old and venturing off on my own while my mother sunbathed ashore at Cocktail Cove and my

father tended to matters aboard our vessel, Macomser (an acronym for his business, Maine Compass Services).

I wove my way along the familiar paths until I came to the vegetation-covered underground tunnel and the nearby circular concrete gun emplacement where, during World War II, ammunition was stored and firearms stood guard against an enemy attack on Portland Harbor.

The Ghosts of Jewell Islandby Meg Miller

In addition to its ghosts, Jewell also features scenery that is almost otherworldly in its beauty.

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When I heard voices inside the tunnel, I shouted, “Hello,” and stepped aside so these other visiting explorers, who chose to ignore my greeting, would exit before I entered. I didn’t feel like bumping into them in the enveloping darkness just beyond the tunnel opening.

As I stood waiting, three figures came into view from within the tunnel depths; dressed in fatigues. All three men wore helmets and one of the men wore wire-rimmed glasses. A cigarette was passed from one man to another as they walked closer to where I waited near the entrance.

They completely ignored me. I assumed that they were in the midst of some kind of military reenactment and didn’t want to be interrupted. I was fine with that; the whole scenario didn’t scare me one bit – until they reached the tunnel opening and vanished. Evaporated. I took a few paces toward the path and paused briefly before sprinting full throttle all the way back to Cocktail Cove.

What had I just seen? They couldn’t have been people because they had disappeared without a trace. But they couldn’t have been ghosts either, because they looked like people, just as solid as you and me. I thought ghosts were semi-transparent, sweeping along in a ghostly way like ghosts are supposed to do.

In 1989 I shared my encounter with author Thomas Verde, who included it in a chapter called “Pirate Coves and Haunted Caves” in his book, Maine Ghosts and Legends (published

by Down East Books). My purpose in sharing, then and now, is to find out if there is anybody out there who has had the same, or a similar experience on Jewell Island and can validate my claim.

I cannot accept that this very real, almost tangible image would avail itself to me, just one mortal soul, over the course of almost three decades. Yet so far, in the Jewell Island logbooks that I have pored through, the only entry that broaches the subject is an account of hearing ghosts in the night. Even Vinny Marotta, MITA’s summer resident caretaker on Jewell, reports nothing suspicious.

Please contact me at mmiller@maine.rr.com if you have had a supernatural experience on Jewell Island. Perhaps this could lead to a follow-up story in the next MITA newsletter.

The Island Trail wants to hear your tales about unusual happenings on Jewell or any other Maine coast island. Write your story in 300 words or less and send it to info@mita.org. We’ll print the spookiest submissions in an upcoming issue.

MITA WELCOMES KITTERY TRADING POST AS BUSINESS PARTNER

Kittery Trading Post, one of Maine’s oldest outfitters, has joined MITA as a Business Partner in order to support our stewardship and educational programs. Kittery Trading Post is one of Maine’s first “destination” stores and now features three spacious levels of quality outdoor recreational gear, casual and sport-specific apparel, footwear, gifts and specialty items. MITA members are invited to browse old-time Maine favorites such as beaded moccasins in addition to the latest innovations in camping, hiking, paddling and fishing equipment. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly and makes shopping for outdoor gear almost as much fun as using it! Kittery Trading Post is easily accessible from I-95 and is open Monday through Saturday, 9-9, and on Sunday 10-6. You can call 888-587-6246 or visit www.ktp.com for more information.

Hey Kid, Nice Lid!Back by popular demand – MITA-themed hats, shirts and other apparel are now available through our website. Now you can look great while also supporting critical island stewardship activities. Made from top-quality material and locally embroidered; choose from a range of styles and colors. Check our website for product and ordering information, www.mita.org.

I was fine with that; the whole scenario didn’t scare

me one bit – until they reached the tunnel opening and vanished. Evaporated.

Boats Make Great Donations

You already know that MITA is a cause worth supporting, but you may not have considered the tax benefits that you stand to reap from donating your vessel to a non-profit. Especially if you are in a high-income tax bracket, the impact on your next return could be significant. Another advantage of donating to MITA is that we now have a dedicated program run by Block Island Maritime Funding to handle all aspects of these transactions—from your initial inquiry right through to the closing. It only takes a phone call or email to get started making your donation (and deduction!). Contact MITA for details or call Block Island Maritime Funding directly at (401) 842-0752.

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Lobstermen-Led Cleanup Clears Tons of Storm Trash from IslandsBy Hannah Perry, MITA Intern

After the massive storm on Patriots Day, thousands of mangled lobster traps, buoys and other detritus clogged the islands in Cape Porpoise Harbor. On a gray morning in mid-May, a team of Cape Porpoise lobstermen, members of the Kennebunk Conservation Trust, and MITA staff gathered to begin a long day of piling, hauling and dumping what would eventually amount to three full truckloads of traps. While the sheer extent of the garbage and derelict traps collected alone would have made this cleanup impressive by MITA’s usual standards, it also marked an unprecedented collaboration between local lobstermen and environmentalists.

Fishermen and conservationists, whether they realize it or not, have always shared similar concerns about keeping Maine’s waterways unspoiled. The coast is, of course, the men’s workplace and source of livelihood. In the past, lobstermen have preferred to gather and dispose of washed-up traps on their own. But when KCT proposed coordinating a day for everyone to work together,

the Cape Porpoise Lobstermen’s Association was happy to agree. Member Ed Hutchins explained, “We realized we could get a lot more done in one day than if we’d been working as separate entities. And it means a lot to us, on a certain level, that someone is taking care of the islands. Most of us grew up in Cape Porpoise and had some good experiences out there. It’s nice to look out from the boat and see nothing but trees.”

Defunct fishing gear is unusual litter. It is hazardous and expensive to remove from the islands because traps are large and unwieldy, and the wire frames often become nasty spikes when mangled. Washed up and useless, the traps represent a significant loss of income—each costs between $60 and $70 to replace. Picking up broken gear also poses a

unique challenge for MITA cleanups because it is illegal to remove traps from the water unless they are your own. Before metal traps replaced wooden ones, lobstermen generally left the traps to decompose on their

own, but a growing awareness of the environmental impact of doing so, plus the advent of metal traps, pushed the men to organize their own methods of trap disposal.

Teaming up with conservationists proved to be an effective new method for getting the job done. The lobstermen

received extra volunteers and additional workboat hauling power from MITA, while KCT provided overall volunteer coordination, funding for the dumpsters, and food for the famished crews. MITA and KCT also benefited nicely from the arrangement, as it allowed us to clean the traps legally and with the expertise of the men who know Cape Porpoise Harbor best. As Stewardship Manager Brian Marcaurelle noted, “This cleanup occurred between two big spring storms that left only a small window for the lobstermen to tend to their gear. Their willingness to help clean the islands on a day that was probably less than ideal for them was much appreciated.”

By late afternoon, the total catch stood at about three dumpsters full of traps, numerous bags of garbage, one toilet seat and one carved coconut head. After riffing on the head’s resemblance to certain of their comrades, the lobstermen reclaimed it as a pier mascot. And as hungry workers refueled on barbecue and chatted, the backhoe in the parking lot behind them continued loading the dumpster with the tangible results of a long-overdue partnership.

As part of an unprecedented partnership, a Cape Porpoise lobsterman hauls traps that volunteers collected from island shorelines.

By late afternoon, the total catch stood at about three dumpsters full of traps, numerous

bags of garbage, one toilet seat and one carved

coconut head.

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Wish ListMITA is always willing to consider donations of anything from boats and vehicles to office equipment. Please call us at 207-761-8225 or email info@mita.org if you would like to donate these or other items.

STEWARDSHIP SUPPLIES• Gas-powered chainsaws and

accessories• Tent-safe lantern• High strength cordage• Working handheld VHF radios • Walkie talkies• Throwable buoyant boat

cushions • Danforth anchors (8 lb or

smaller) • Adult-sized raingear (to be used

as spare foul weather gear) • 30” bow saw • Dry bags• Fishing/landing nets for

workboats (to retrieve floating trash)

• Tarps (all sizes)• Field guides to ecology of the

Northeast • Come-along strap winch• Tow chains / straps

BOATS & MOTORS• Boats (sailboats, powerboats,

dinghies, kayaks, etc.) of any size in seaworthy condition

• 25-40 HP 4-stroke motor for caretaker boat

• 5 HP long-shaft outboard motors (kickers for MITA workboats)

OFFICE SUPPLIES & TECHNOLOGY• Electric letter folder• Small refrigerator

SERVICES• Sponsorship of Annual

Meeting/Stewardship Party • Volunteer office help • Volunteers for outreach

booth staffing

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TheMAINEISLANDTRAILAssociation 58 Fore Street, Bldg. 30, 3rd FloorPORTLAND, ME 04101

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDMAINE ISLAND TRAIL

ASSOCIATION

WOODENBOAT SHOW. Friday – Sunday, June 29-July 1. Mystic, CT. MITA again will have a booth at this premier boat show where we will solicit new members, greet existing members, and maybe land a boat donation or two. www.thewoodenboatshow.com.

MUSCONGUS BAY BIRD TRIP. Saturday, June 30. Bremen, ME. This morning boat trip on board Hog Island Audubon camp’s MV Puffin-V will tour beautiful Muscongus Bay. Naturalists will be on board to help identify birds, flora and fauna. MITA staff will also be available to describe the efforts being taken to manage recreational use and help keep wild islands available for exploration. Registration is required, please call or e-mail Maine Audubon – 207-781-2330 or trips@maineaudubon.org.

HOG ISLAND CAMP AND KAYAK WEEKEND. Friday & Saturday, July 21-22. Hog Island, Muscongus Bay. Explore by kayak some of the special places that make Muscongus bay such a wonderful and diverse eco-system. This trip will be led by Maine Guides and naturalists who will share information about birds and the natural history of the region as well as talk about MITA conservation efforts in the area. Fee includes meals and camping equipment. Registration required, please contact Maine Audubon – 207-781-2330 or e-mail trips@maineaudubon.org.

CAMP AND KAYAK IN DOWNEAST MAINE. Friday & Saturday, August 4-5. This trip will explore the bold coast and offshore ledges around the Great Wass archipelago. Led by a Master Maine Guide and naturalists from Ardea-EcoExpeditions.com, we will paddle kayaks out of South Addison and camp on a wild Maine island. This trip is timed to catch migrating shorebirds and possibly recently fledged pelagics like puffins, terns, and razorbills while minimizing disturbance to the abundant seal

MITA CALENDAR Summer 2007Check our website, www.mita.org, for new events and updates.

haul-outs in the area. Fee includes meals and camping equipment. Registration required, please contact Maine Audubon – 207-781-2330 or email trips@maineaudubon.org.

MAINE BOATS, HOMES, & HARBORS SHOW. Friday – Sunday, August 10-12, Rockland, ME. MITA will have an outreach booth at this charming summer show on the Rockland waterfront. www.maineboats.com.

MITA ANNUAL MEMBER CAMPOUT. Saturday & Sunday, September 15-16, Warren Island, Penobscot Bay. This will be a low-key, do-it-yourself gathering on one of Maine’s most picturesque offshore campgrounds. See the description on page 5 for more information. Please RSVP by August 31 to info@mita.org or 761-8225.

Show Your Support with MITA Apparel

Looking for another great way to support MITA? Why not choose one that makes you look great in return? Our new line of MITA apparel is made of top-quality material and locally embroidered on the Maine coast. Choose from a variety of items in a range of styles and colors, including: • Baseball caps• Fleece vests

and jackets• Denim long

sleeve shirts• Polo shirts• T-shirts

Check out our website for product and ordering information, www.mita.org.