The real happiest days
After a hot day of sanding the boat’s bottom, the author realizes a classic wooden boat is too much work.
Jack Farrell
Jack is a USCG 100-ton master and the island manager at Star Island at the Isles of Shoals, where his boat, Aloft, lives most of the summer. His column covers stories and observations from the Isles of Shoals and beyond. Some six miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Piscataqua River, this amazing and historic place is host to a variety of interesting vessels, wildlife and people – a rest stop on the East Coast maritime highway. He is the owner of Seacoast Maritime Charters. 
‘Let’s buy a house in Maine’ season
Fall 2024 By Jack Farrell It’s mid-September on a perfect morning’s trip to Star Island amid a string of beautiful days. The clean air, blue sky, sparkling water and brisk breeze from the north make this yet another “let’s buy a house in Maine day,” as Catboat Bob would say.Read More
Let ’em work, let ’em live
September 2024 By Jack Farrell It was seven a.m. on a hot, hazy morning in July at the Burge Dock in Portsmouth. My program of becoming a kinder and gentler captain was struggling that morning in the face of yet another late food shipment for Star Island. Three times aRead More
So, you bought yourself a boat
August 2024 By Jack Farrell We had just finished loading propane and diesel on the Shining Star for Star Island on a scorching July afternoon along the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth. The tide was at peak flood. As we disconnected the diesel hose, a call came over the radio fromRead More
Striking a delicate balance
July 2024 By Jack Farrell There is a long-standing debate among historians about the origins of the name Isles of Shoals. To some it simply refers to the many ledges running out from the islands and the few especially treacherous ones that lie in open water offshore of them, commonlyRead More
Modeling a cleaner, brighter future
June 2024 By Jack Farrell Some years ago, a group of high school seniors from an organization called Upward Bound stopped at Star Island for a few days. As the island manager at the time, I was given the task of showing them around and doing a little teaching onRead More
A tragedy in Maryland
May 2022 By Jack Farrell The talk of the waterfront these days is the terrible disaster in Baltimore that took down much of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six construction workers, closing the port, and disrupting traffic in the region for perhaps years to come. The Singapore-flagged cargo shipRead More
The changing face of Maine
A changing climate is affecting the state from the mountain tops to the seashore.
The power of wind and waves
January’s back to back winter storms wreaked havoc at the Isle of Shoals
Counting my blessings
Lately I’ve been balancing the demands of boat captain and grandfather, happily aware of how blessed life can be.
