On Tuesday (July 7), the small Town Pier at Naskeag Harbor was more congested than we’ve seen it in a long time. Fishing vessels were tied up on either side and atop was a local pickup truck and trailer plus an enormous crane truck and trailer (18 wheels and 5 axles). The truck was offloading its massive cargo directly into the water.
That cargo turned out to be the prefabricated parts of a large float that was destined to be the docking end of a pier now being constructed. The off-loaded parts were roped and towed by a small outboard motor boat to the middle of our Harbor, where they were tied together.
According to the truck driver, arrangements had been made with the owner of a local fishing vessel to tow all of the lashed segments to Deer Isle, where they would be bolted together and connected to the new pier. Deer Isle is a fairly large island that, at its closest point, is about two miles across the waters of Eggemoggin Reach from Naskeag Harbor.
The famous Deer Isle - Sedgwick Bridge, below, serves Deer Isle and Little Deer Isle (where the bridge actually lands). But, that high suspension bridge has narrow lanes going and coming that apparently can’t accommodate a large vehicle with a load like this. So, the float-to-be will be floated to its home.
Leighton Archive Image
(Brooklin, Maine)