EAST BOOTHBAY, Maine -- In the mid-19th century, houses in this village two miles east of busy Boothbay Harbor barely outnumbered boatyards , and half the residents were ship's carpenters . The big shipyards have dwindled to two , but, says Alan Lewis , "there's still a boatbuilder in practically every cove around here." Lewis, an organizer of the Boothbay Boat Builders & Seafood Festival , says many of the craftsmen will be displaying their skiffs and other small craft at the fourth annual festival, a fund - raiser for the Boothbay Region Land Trust .
Visitors will be able to board several vessels, including the 83-foot motor yacht Lion's Whelp (1966) and the island missionary boat, Sunbeam V (1995), both built in East Boothbay. Hodgdon Yachts and Washburn & Doughty yards will give tours of their current projects, while the Nathaniel Wilson Sailmaker loft will demonstrate how sails are cut and stitched.
Local oysters and crab and lobster rolls will be the principal fare at the food booths, and more than 50 artists will display their work at a nautical art show. Author Colin Woodard will discuss his new book about pirates, and David Stimson from Boothbay Harbor Shipyard will talk about the yard's recent restoration of the HMS Bounty replica and its project to build and race schooners modeled on Nova Scotia's famous Bluenose .
Boothbay Boat Builders & Seafood Festival, July 28, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Shipbuilders Park and Ocean Point Marina, Route 96, East Boothbay, Maine. Adults $15, ages 11 and under free. 207-633-4818. bbrlt.org.
DAVID LYON
