If a person is environmentally conscious, she said, then “maybe a cruise ship is not the vacation you take.”

The first commercial urchin landings were recorded in the early 1930s, with urchin roe already a valuable commodity for ethnic markets in Boston and New York

If you live in Jonesport, Rangeley or New Sweden, you may not feel like you have much in common with Swan’s Island and neighboring Frenchboro Island. But a recent decision at the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) suggests you have more in common than you might think.

“I just want to take some of the stress out of living on an island,” says Kevin Wentworth.

One couple is moving into their new empty-nest house. The other, into their first home. The houses are nearly identical, which isn’t surprising, given that they were designed by the same architects.

Ben Lovell, his sister Liz and friend Jesse Davisson have opened North Haven Brewing Company on the island.

The sea urchin harvest season began Oct. 1 and continues through March 3.

“The merchant marines is more about asking than telling,” says Capt. Mike Flanagan.

Newman and Gray is a great example of a thriving business in the marine trades, one of Maine’s strongest industry clusters. It’s got themes variously shared with other such businesses—generational ownership, traditional craftsmanship joined with innovation, owner/operator relationships, diversification into various services.