BAR HARBOR, May 1, 2023 - Charles Sidman, the lead petitioner in the successful citizens referendum which capped cruise ship visitation, served notice on the Town Council today that its “flagrantly illegal” acceptance of cruise ship landings in 2023 overlooked about $4 million in fines for allowing passengers to disembark on town property.
The Town of Bar Harbor does not belong to members of the Town Council, it belongs to the residents and they have spoken. It is incumbent upon the Council to abide by the decisions of the residents. I hope the judge agrees.
Millions more should be assessed for their flagrantly ignoring our request to stop emitting extreme levels of Group 1 poisonous shipping fuel chemicals through town. They never turned off their tenders as required and agreed upon in writing. Instead they now also use OP’s new tenders that must have their engines revved up in order to stay pinned safely to the dock.
Jim I have no idea where this "engine raved up to stay pinned to the dock" BS came from. Any small boat operator with even basic skills has no need to rev his engine up while at the dock. All that is required for the average small vessel is a bow line, a stern line, and a breast line and they ain't going anywhere. Of course that requires a few minutes to set up, as well as someone who actually knows how to handle lines. From what I've observed over many years few if any of the personnel operating cruise ship tenders have even the foggiest idea of what they are doing. In truth many of them represent a danger to their passengers and to other boat traffic in the harbor. I can tell youI played dodge 'em with Cruise Ship tenders many times over the 25 years I ran boat tours in Bar Harbor!Why the Coast Guard continues to allow this I don't know, but my guess is it has something to with out of USA ship registry and subsequent lack of jurisdiction of the Coast Guard.
Harbormaster Chris Wharff told me the ship tender drivers are many and do not remember or just don’t take the time to tie up. Chris’s also said those large double capacity tenders that Walsh had built cannot safely be tied up on account of their size. So they are forced to use tons of fuel just sitting there..
I haven't been on the Town Pier in 3 years and didn't even know Walsh had tenders…just another reason to reduce or eliminate cruise ships in Bar Harbor I guess.
Over the years there have been numerous claims that Bar Harbor and other Maine Businesses profit greatly from cruise ship visitation. I couldn't help but notice in the spreadsheet referred to in this article that one of Maine's oldest and most respected shipping related companies, Chase Leavitt of Portland, has apparently been all but cut out of the ship's agent business related to cruise ships in Bar Harbor. Back when I ferried Chase Leavitt agents to and from cruise ships anchored in Bar Harbor they serviced many of those ships. Time and time and time again local and statewide businesses are undercut and sidelined by large companies from out of the area and it's past time that something be done about it. If we have to suffer any cruise ships at all we should make sure that someone other than Ocean Properties and a handful of gift shops and restaurants benefit from it. Or, best of all, we could just outright ban cruise ship visits altogether.
ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING AND UPSETTING TO SEE HOW DISHONEST THE TOWN COUNCIL OF BH IS--I LIVE IN MOUNT DESERT, BUT MY PROPERTY EXTENDS OVER INTO BAR HARBOR, AND I PAY TAXES ON IT--MORE FOR THAT TINY PIECE OF UNINHABITED LAND THAT ON MY LARGER PROPERTY COMPLETE WITH TWO HOUSES AND A SWIMMING POOL, SO I CERTAINLY FEEL I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD. THE CRUISE SHIPS ARE RUINING THE TOWN OF BH, AND THEIR PATHETIC BUYING OF JUNK AND FOOD (MAINLY ICE CREAM AND CANDY) DOES NOT EXCUSE THEIR DESTRUCTION.
The Town of Bar Harbor does not belong to members of the Town Council, it belongs to the residents and they have spoken. It is incumbent upon the Council to abide by the decisions of the residents. I hope the judge agrees.
Well said Martha, well said!
Thank you, Winston
Millions more should be assessed for their flagrantly ignoring our request to stop emitting extreme levels of Group 1 poisonous shipping fuel chemicals through town. They never turned off their tenders as required and agreed upon in writing. Instead they now also use OP’s new tenders that must have their engines revved up in order to stay pinned safely to the dock.
Jim I have no idea where this "engine raved up to stay pinned to the dock" BS came from. Any small boat operator with even basic skills has no need to rev his engine up while at the dock. All that is required for the average small vessel is a bow line, a stern line, and a breast line and they ain't going anywhere. Of course that requires a few minutes to set up, as well as someone who actually knows how to handle lines. From what I've observed over many years few if any of the personnel operating cruise ship tenders have even the foggiest idea of what they are doing. In truth many of them represent a danger to their passengers and to other boat traffic in the harbor. I can tell youI played dodge 'em with Cruise Ship tenders many times over the 25 years I ran boat tours in Bar Harbor!Why the Coast Guard continues to allow this I don't know, but my guess is it has something to with out of USA ship registry and subsequent lack of jurisdiction of the Coast Guard.
Harbormaster Chris Wharff told me the ship tender drivers are many and do not remember or just don’t take the time to tie up. Chris’s also said those large double capacity tenders that Walsh had built cannot safely be tied up on account of their size. So they are forced to use tons of fuel just sitting there..
I haven't been on the Town Pier in 3 years and didn't even know Walsh had tenders…just another reason to reduce or eliminate cruise ships in Bar Harbor I guess.
Thank you Charles for looking out for all of us Islanders and the environment.
Let's make Ocean Properties pay the fines.
Over the years there have been numerous claims that Bar Harbor and other Maine Businesses profit greatly from cruise ship visitation. I couldn't help but notice in the spreadsheet referred to in this article that one of Maine's oldest and most respected shipping related companies, Chase Leavitt of Portland, has apparently been all but cut out of the ship's agent business related to cruise ships in Bar Harbor. Back when I ferried Chase Leavitt agents to and from cruise ships anchored in Bar Harbor they serviced many of those ships. Time and time and time again local and statewide businesses are undercut and sidelined by large companies from out of the area and it's past time that something be done about it. If we have to suffer any cruise ships at all we should make sure that someone other than Ocean Properties and a handful of gift shops and restaurants benefit from it. Or, best of all, we could just outright ban cruise ship visits altogether.
ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING AND UPSETTING TO SEE HOW DISHONEST THE TOWN COUNCIL OF BH IS--I LIVE IN MOUNT DESERT, BUT MY PROPERTY EXTENDS OVER INTO BAR HARBOR, AND I PAY TAXES ON IT--MORE FOR THAT TINY PIECE OF UNINHABITED LAND THAT ON MY LARGER PROPERTY COMPLETE WITH TWO HOUSES AND A SWIMMING POOL, SO I CERTAINLY FEEL I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD. THE CRUISE SHIPS ARE RUINING THE TOWN OF BH, AND THEIR PATHETIC BUYING OF JUNK AND FOOD (MAINLY ICE CREAM AND CANDY) DOES NOT EXCUSE THEIR DESTRUCTION.
Wish I could vote in Bar Harbor