A Letter from the Publisher - Issue 121

Rockland, Maine

Midsummer's Eve

I am writing this on midsummer’s eve, a celebratory time in late June throughout the northern climes. In my mind, though, it seems far too soon to be mid-summer. Granted, the days are longest now, but for me midsummer’s eve falls on August 10, the Friday night of the Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show. It’s all lead-up before then: getting our boats ready and launched, putting in our gardens, and preparing for the show. Come August 10, all of us at MBH&H will be little Mickey Rooneys and Judy Garlands. We might not have their singing and dancing talents, but we do know how to put on a show. And this year’s will be the best ever. We will have Rockport Marine’s restoration of the 83' Fife schooner Adventuress—a world-class statement of the boatbuilder’s art—on display on the docks. Up on the hill in its own tent will be a new exhibit: “Under the Hood,” featuring a brand-new Back Cove 34 sans deck and cockpit, to highlight the equipment and engineering that go into a modern Maine-built boat. It should be fascinating for those of us who never get to see a boat at this stage of completion. Another new exhibit, “The Village Green,” will be devoted to the many disciplines of home construction, design, and technology. The focus will be on sustainable approaches to modern living; coastal Maine thinkers and doers are making it happen. The show’s main theme—“Tradition Shapes Innovation”—is serious, but the season is summer and we’ll be having plenty of fun. On Saturday afternoon, don’t miss the debut Stand-Up Paddleboard Jousting Tournament. A modern take on the canoe-jousting competitions of old, it will determine who, indeed, is The Last One Standing. On Sunday morning, we’ll run the renowned annual Boatyard Dog® Trials to decide who among the small pack of pre-selected competitors will win the tongue-in-muzzle title of World Champion. While August 10-12 isn’t technically midsummer’s eve, it will be celebratory. Please join us then on the Rockland waterfront for the 10th Annual Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show—the pages of this magazine brought to life. After that you’ll find most of us—especially me—out on the bay.