pendleton yacht yard ferry cam

Search form

Islesboro: A Quiet Island Interlude

Photos by Mimi B. Steadman

Tiny green cushions of moss dotted the ground in front of me, calling to mind the islands of Penobscot Bay, only in miniature. I spied a raggedy-edged mound that sort of resembled Vinalhaven, with North Haven nestled next to it. Another diminutive hummock—narrow with a pinched-in waist—looked a little like Islesboro. How perfect, I thought, to come upon a mini Islesboro in the middle of the real island.

We’d come over on the ferry from Lincolnville Beach with our car earlier on that primo late-September morning. A walk was first on our to-do list, so we turned up island, headed to the Herbert Preserve to hike a double-loop trail beside the tidal Mill Pond. After the trail led us down and up the steep sides of multiple glacially carved ravines, arriving at more level ground carpeted with those mossy islets felt like a reward.

Back in the car, we followed Main Road down the spine of the 14-mile-long island and pulled off at Big Tree Beach, near the aptly named Narrows. The seascape that greeted us caught us in its spell: A graceful schooner serenely resting on its mooring was framed by a backdrop of calm blue water stretching to the Camden Hills.

But our tummies demanded lunch, so we continued to the Island Market, where regulars flowed in for the local news as well as groceries. Feeling warmly welcomed into the mix, we browsed the aisles, bought a couple of sandwiches, and set off in search of a picnic spot.

Small byways branch off the main route, often turning to dirt as they trace the coves, harbors, and inlets that scallop the shoreline. Choosing one, we worried we’d end up on a private driveway leading to one of the island’s many elegant summer “cottages.” Instead, we came upon a small, gravelly beach with easterly views across the bay to Cape Rosier, and a weathered picnic table seemingly put there just for us.

The breeze teased our paper napkins as we talked about those grand houses, built in and around Dark Harbor at the turn of the 20th century by moneyed summer residents and often still owned and treasured by their descendants. A few celebrity homeowners—Kirstie Alley, Parker Stevenson, John Travolta, Kelly Preston—shone the spotlight on Islesboro for a while. But they have departed (though actor Chris O’Donnell does have a house here), allowing this exclusive, low-key summer colony to return to its quiet ways.

In Dark Harbor village, we stopped to browse in The Magpie’s Caravan, a petite antiques shop brimming with fine European china. I chatted with Chris Dickman, the gregarious proprietor, who noted which patterns were most popular with island hostesses. I could picture the place settings laid out beneath silver candelabra on polished dining tables, ready for gracious evenings.

Among Islesboro’s fewer than 700 year-rounders, some families have been here for centuries, and shipbuilding courses through their lineage. In the early 1900s, New York shipbrokers, brothers F.S. and Edwin Pendleton, owned what was said to be the country’s largest fleet of commercial sailing vessels. The brothers hailed from and summered on Islesboro. The legacy continues at Pendleton Yacht Yard, a restoration and repair facility that happens to be located on Pendleton Point Road, on land owned by the family for many generations.

While we waited at the ferry landing beside Grindle Point Light, I caught a glimpse of a large schooner ghosting wing-on-wing into the far end of Gilkey Harbor. It was, of course, a member of the windjammer fleet, but it wasn’t hard to pretend it was one of the Pendleton brothers’ vessels from a hundred years ago.

As we steamed back across to the mainland aboard the Margaret Chase Smith , I thought back on our visit. There hadn’t been any high excitement or adventure. Rather, the day had been woven with friendly encounters, abundant natural beauty, a little history, and a lot of tranquility. I’m pretty sure that’s just how they like it over on Islesboro.

Contributing Editor Mimi Bigelow Steadman lives on the Damariscotta River in Edgecomb.

If You Go to Islesboro

Getting there.

Operated by the Maine State Ferry Service , the car ferry makes the 20-minute run between Lincolnville Beach and Islesboro a dozen or more times per day, depending on the season and day. The Margaret Chase Smith departs from the mainland on the hour and leaves the island on the half-hour. Reservations, especially in season, are strongly advised. The M/V Quicksilver provides water-taxi service between Islesboro and the mainland. Penobscot Island Air provides scheduled and chartered flights to the small, seasonally operated airport.

On the Water

Islesboro offers several pleasant hideaways around the island to drop the hook for an overnight, including Turtle Head Cove and Sabbathday Harbor. To access Dark Harbor village, anchor in Gilkey Harbor, on the southwestern side of the island, just to the east of Seven Hundred Acre Island. There are no rental moorings in Gilkey Harbor. For answers to questions about anchoring or emergency repairs, call Gabe Pendleton at Pendleton Yacht Yard (207-734-6728). The yard, which is not accessible at low tide, has fuel and marine supplies and can haul boats up to 50 feet long. Around the corner, in Seven Hundred Acre Island’s Cradle Cove, the Dark Harbor Boat Yard (207-734-2246) has guest moorings, showers, laundry facilities, a fuel dock, and marine store, and also sells block ice for cruisers.

Buy sandwiches at the Dark Harbor Shop (Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day) to eat outside or take with you, or pick up sandwiches and other picnic supplies at the Island Market or Durkee General Store . Be sure to stop at the Dark Harbor Shop for a cone of its famous ice cream.

In season, several Dark Harbor boutiques are worth a visit. The Summer Shop offers women’s clothing, home-decor accents, gifts, toiletries, and other fine wares. Next door,

The Magpie’s Caravan stocks a pleasing collection of small antiques, primarily fine china. In addition to sandwiches and ice cream, The Dark Harbor Shop carries a small selection of gifts, clothing, and pickles and preserves. Specializing in rare books about architecture, design, and the history of science, Dark Harbor-based Artisan Books & Bindery is primarily an online business, but owner Craig Olson welcomes visitors by advance appointment.

Thanks to the Islesboro Islands Trust —which protects more than 1,000 acres and nearly 15 miles of shoreline—there are multiple options for hikes through the woods to the water’s edge. Many of the trails are rated easy or moderate, yet they provide a lot of bang for the buck. Turtle Head Preserve, at the northern edge of the island, rewards with panoramas of Penobscot Bay. The Hutchins Island and Marsh Preserve features a walk across a tidal sandbar to a small island; from this preserve, it’s an easy stroll along the beach to the Hinkle Preserve. The trail at Broad Point Preserve meanders through a cedar swamp to a rocky beach on Gilkey Harbor. The Herbert Preserve offers a butterfly-shaped trail beside the tidal Mill Pond. Other spots for enjoying the outdoors and a picnic are Big Tree Beach , near the middle of the island, and Islesboro Town Beach on Pendleton Point, at the island’s southern tip. If you have access to a private boat (or the Quicksilver water taxi), consider a trip over to 70-acre Warren Island State Park . Located just south of Grindle Point, it’s a lovely spot for picnicking or camping.

On weekends between July 1 and Labor Day, stop into the Grindle Point Sailor’s Museum in the keeper’s house at Grindle Point Light. Located right beside the ferry landing, it displays marine antiques, paintings, and ship models. If the lighthouse tower is open, climb to the top for broad views of western Penobscot Bay.

Share this article:

Digital Edition Available ×

Can't get to the store to buy your magazine? We deliver the stories of Maine's coast right to your inbox. Sign up here for a digital edition .

2023 Maine Boat & Home Show ×

Join Us for the Maine Boat & Home Show !

Art, Artisans, Food, Fun & Boats, Boats, Boats

August 11 - 13, 2023 | On the waterfront, Rockland, Maine

Click here to pre-order your tickets.

Show is produced by Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors magazine.

North Carolina
South Carolina
More…
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
Huntington Beach, CA
Newport Beach, CA
Santa Cruz, CA
Panama City Beach, FL
Fort Lauderdale, FL
St. Pete Beach, FL
Waikiki Beach
Honolulu, HI
Island of Hawaii
Kauai, Hawaii
25 Best Caribbean Cams
U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Lucia
Turks & Caicos
The Caribbean

St. Petersburg, Florida

Live cams, weather conditions, and beach activity, st. petersburg city pier webcam.

Live webcam of St. Petersburg Municipal Marina and St. Pete Pier in St Petersburg, Florida. St. Pete Pier is 26 acres of peaceful blue waters in downtown St. Petersburg, creating the ultimate place to stroll, bike, dine, shop, take in a concert and more. St. Pete’s Municipal Marina in the Waterfront District and downtown St. Pete is home to a number of museums, restaurants, and entertainment venues.

Check the current weather, surf conditions, and enjoy scenic views from your favorite coastal beaches in Florida . Explore hundreds of miles of Florida beaches and check out what’s happening live.

Nearby Beaches

Alabama (34)
California (268)
Connecticut (33)
Delaware (27)
Florida (526)
Georgia (28)
Hawaii (100)
Illinois (7)
Louisiana (21)
Maryland (50)
Massachusetts (105)
Michigan (19)
Minnesota (11)
Mississippi (8)
New Hampshire (26)
New Jersey (137)
New York (52)
North Carolina (126)
Oregon (28)
Pennsylvania (3)
Rhode Island (45)
South Carolina (81)
Virginia (29)
Washington (44)
Wisconsin (4)

Webcams - U.S. Beaches

Featured beach cams.

Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk Webcam

Ocean City, MD Boardwalk Cam

Corolla Light Resort Beach Webcam

Watermans Webcam on Virginia Beach Boardwalk

Maui Sea Shell Condo Beach Cam

Hollywood Beach, FL Live Cam

Browse by Category

50 Best Beach Cams in U.S.

Boardwalk Cams

Florida Webcams
Hawaii Webcams
California Cams

Past Issues
Buy Current Issue

An Island Helmsman

Islesboro’s gabe pendleton gets to work—for his neighbors and planet, story and photos by jack sullivan.

While roaming from one end of the labyrinth-like yacht yard that bears his name to the other, Gabe Pendleton checks in with employees as they work. He’s soft spoken, but Pendleton’s voice carries over the power tools—even while wearing a mask.

Whether it’s boat yard logistics or a simple hello, it’s clear he cares about these people.

“When I was young, I watched my father run this business, and how he treated people—how he cared for his employees. It’s something I try to emulate,” he says. “No one wants to be treated like a cog in a wheel who is just here to get a particular thing done.”

That respect has earned the business a loyal crew. The average employment tenure for the yard’s 22 employees is about 15 years.

“A lot of people who I knew growing up are still around. Some of the employees who now work for me used to pick me up after school when I was a kid,” he recalls.

Pendleton, 37, took over day-to-day operations when he returned to the island in 2013, becoming the fourth consecutive Pendleton to run the business, which began as a livery stable. Under the second generation, Pendleton’s grandfather, the shop fixed cars, and when Gabe’s father took over, it became the yacht yard that it is today.

Pendleton Yacht Yard launches its boats into Ames Cove, an inlet near the southwest tip of Islesboro. Photo: Benjamin Smith

Pendleton explains that while his father taught him how to be a responsible business owner, taking over the family business wasn’t something he planned.

Growing up on the island, Pendleton absorbed the key values it instilled, such as the importance of community, but he also learned environmentalism, as taught by his teachers at the Islesboro Central School.

When he graduated high school in 2001, he decided to pursue his interests on the mainland. He studied at the University of Maine in Orono and in Spain, taught English in Costa Rica, worked at a ski resort in Colorado, and then applied for law school. He studied law at the University of Pittsburgh for three years where he helped draft the stormwater ordinance for the city.

He also got to spend a summer interning with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and after passing the bar, landed a job clerking for a court in Vermont. An opening at a law firm in Brunswick brought him back to Maine, and soon after his father asked if he wanted to come home and manage the yacht yard.

That’s when Pendleton and his soon-to-be wife, Chloe Joule, packed up and moved to Islesboro.

The demanding nature of managing the yacht yard meant he couldn’t continue practicing law, but his preparation for that career was not wasted. The analytical, problem-solving skills, and ability to effectively communicate on paper proved invaluable to the life he took on as a born-again islander. He won a position on the select board and started applying his skills to guide not only the family business, but also his community.

The good news is that he enjoys complex projects.

“I love it. The organizational side of running things is a fun challenge for me,” he confesses. “Pendleton Yacht Yard has lots of moving parts—marine construction, working on engines, paint and varnish, hauling and launching boats, and everything has to line up just right.”

On top of that, Pendleton prioritizes running an environmentally sustainable operation. In 2017, he addressed the yacht yard’s carbon footprint in earnest by investing in a 40-kilowatt solar array and battery storage system which drastically reduces emissions and energy costs for the business.

His commitment to environmentally sound approaches goes beyond the family business. In part due to Pendleton’s advocacy, photovoltaic arrays have appeared on the island’s school, community building, and transfer station.

Though he has strong feelings about such things, he says he has learned the value of building community support for projects, rather than proceeding fueled only by his own passion. He works to have the community understand the benefits of the projects the select board works on.

Pendleton helped advocate for the 46-kilowatt array that sits on top of Islesboro’s municipal building. It is composed of 155 solar panels, and annually, they reduce the town’s CO2 emissions by about 63,000 pounds.

“Having 51 percent of the island’s support is never our goal,” he says, and instead hopes for something closer to consensus.

Residents will stop by the yacht yard or flag him down in the store to talk about municipal projects. He passes those concerns to the others on the select board.

“One of the good things about local government is that you’re close to the issues,” he notes. “If the town’s taxes go up, that includes the select board’s taxes.”

Arch Gillies and Sandy Oliver served on the board with Pendleton, and both praise his contributions.

“Gabe is highly intelligent and listens carefully to all viewpoints,” Gillies said. “He is forward-looking and has leadership skills that qualify him for governmental responsibility at all levels.” Pendleton serves on the state Ferry Service Advisory Board, and “on behalf of Islesboro, Gabe organized and successfully led our town’s legal challenge to fare increases.”

Gillies adds: “And best of all, he is a friend to all—and always cheerful.”

Oliver highlights his legal training.

“He spotted stuff that the others and myself either never noticed or understood differently. Nothing like having a ‘not the town attorney’ right on the select board,” she said.

Oliver also notes the importance of Pendleton returning to the island and bringing his new family.

“It’s wonderful to have our young back in town and making a contribution. When Gabe returned to the island, he brought a fabulous contributor to our island life. Chloe’s work with Islesboro Island Trust has proved a great asset.”

She relates how when Pendleton had to bring his child to a board meeting, some asked if he were babysitting. “He corrected them and said, “No, it’s called parenting.’”

Pendleton credits the town’s effective management of COVID to a mutual trust among residents, year-round and seasonal. One innovation was organizing a network to consolidate errands and minimize trips to the mainland. Neighbors brought groceries to seasonal residents who were quarantining upon arrival.

Though some shy away from straddling the elected official and entrepreneur worlds, where a decision in one role can hurt the other, Pendleton believes this level of engagement suits him.

“By running a business and being involved in the town, I have an opportunity to do more about the issues I care about,” he says.

Pendleton believes that effective leaders bring everyone along. Sustaining his island community and the planet are driving forces, and it shows through his efforts, which include advocating for affordable island transportation, supporting the local preschool (which his two-and-a-half-year-old attends), and planning for affordable healthcare.

Jack Sullivan is a multi-media storyteller with the Island Institute. He lives in Rockland.

Fisheries From 1973 to 2023 — How We Got Here

History Business Climate Change

The Working Waterfront Wars

Communities Business

The Long Journey from Boat to Plate

Objectively Caring for Her Community

Profiles Communities

On the Runway and the Gangplank

Climate Activism’s Next Generation

Share this article, privacy preference center, privacy preferences.

Connection denied by Geolocation Setting.

Reason: Blocked country: Russia

The connection was denied because this country is blocked in the Geolocation settings.

Please contact your administrator for assistance.