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History

Junks and Sampans of the Yangtze

As Inspector General of Chinese Maritime Customs, the author’s grandfather admired the watercraft of the country he called home.

How Herman Melville Still Shapes the Gulf of Maine

Two centuries after his birth, Herman Melville’s writing about the ocean still resonates.

Back When Fat Was Fabulous

Back in the days of sail, fat was a valuable commodity.

Preserved In Stone

During Maine’s great age of sail, several prominent mariners were immortalized in larger-than-life stone sculptures. Today these impressive monuments are poignant reminders of people who helped to shape the state’s maritime economy.

Risky Business

Castine's square-rigged ships and salted fish

An Island Boatyard

An island boatyard, begun in 1920, still thrives in Penobscot Bay

Boat Launches Back in the Day

The 1903 launch of the four-masted schooner Pendleton Brothers.

Richmond Island’s Pot of Gold

The story behind a pot of gold and silver coins found years ago on Richmond Island is a fascinating tale of early Maine.

Built in Maine

The 30-Ton Pinnace named Virginia was built in Maine in the 1600s, and its reproduction is being built now.

The Ruggles House of Columbia Falls

Restoration of a circa-1818 Federal-style mansion built for Thomas Ruggles.

Riding Out the Hurricane of 1938 in a Maine-Built Boat

The Hurricane of 1938 wreaked havoc in New England 80 years ago this fall. The Frost family of boatbuilders were right in the thick of it.

New. Found. Land.

Remote, mysterious, and beautiful, Newfoundland has much to offer summer travelers.

Way Back When—Issue 153

Stonington, circa 1915.

Sir Ferdinando Gorges and His Impossible Dream of Maine

Attempts by Sir Ferdinando Gorges to colonize Maine in the early 1600s met with failure, and all that remains with his name is a fort.

Way Back When — Issue 152

The luxurious Rangeley Lake Hotel