2007 CBC Future of the Boat School
Future of the Boat School
Bud Finch, City Manger of Eastport, Dean Pike, Boat School
Instructor, and Sen. Kevin Raye spoke on the future of the Boat School. The
good news is that there is a future for the Boat School. Many people
have come together to make it possible to keep the Boat School going. The
Legislature voted in favor of the preservation of the Boat School; requiring
the Community College System to sit down with the City of Eastport, the Friends
of the Boat School, the University of Maine System, and Husson College to work
out a way to keep the Boat School alive in Eastport.
Ownership of the property will be transferred to the City of Eastport, pending final approval by the Legislature. Washington County Community College will lease the equipment on the property to the City. Husson College will begin teaching classes at the Boat School this fall. The new official name of the public/private partnership will be the Maine Marine Technology Center. The instructors, curriculum and facility will remain the same, though we can expect to see some familiar programs added back into the curriculum, including marine painting and marine mechanics. The Travelift will remain available for hauling boats.
New sources of funding and new users are being sought for the facility, which is being viewed not only as an educational resource, but also as a center for economic development of the Cobscook region. It was emphasized that no local property taxes are being used.
Dean Pike said that the Boat School has been the best kept secret in Maine, but it shouldn’t be a secret anymore.