The Town of Lubec has been awarded $19.6 million to build a safe harbor for boats that will include a breakwater, mooring field, boat launch and floating docks. The Safe Harbor project, which has been three years in the planning stage, will be located behind the Lubec Historical Society building on Main Street, coming into the town. The funding, through the federal BUILD program, was announced on November 6.
     "The new Safe Harbor in Lubec will significantly improve safety for fishermen," stated Senator Susan Collins, chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, in announcing the award. "The project would allow 30 boats to tie up and would protect boats and fishermen in inclement weather. A year‑round Safe Harbor for fishermen and the Maine Marine Patrol is essential for a local economy that relies on the fishing industry."
     The project will also include a two‑way road to the end of the pier, with two hoists for fishermen to get their product to market safely and quickly.
     Carol Dennison, chair of the Lubec Select Board and a member of the Safe Harbor Committee, says, "We are so thankful to Senator Collins for supporting our project and so thankful to finally be able to provide a safe harbor for our fishermen, mariners and Marine Patrol."
     She is hopeful that the Safe Harbor project can be completed by 2023, which is the most optimistic timeline. If final engineering work is done next summer, then the project could go out to bid in 2021. Groundwork on the land would be done before breakwater construction.
     The Safe Harbor plan entails constructing a breakwater extending several hundred feet into Johnson's Bay, providing a sheltered area where mariners can launch, recover and moor vessels during inclement weather. The site is just north of the Lubec Historical Society building and is contiguous to the town‑owned property where the former public works garage stood. The plan includes three phases: land acquisition; construction of the first half of the breakwater; and final construction that includes extending the breakwater, installation of a hoist at the outer end and a road surface allowing fishermen to drive out to the end.
     Many of these details were described in a two‑part public information meeting held in Lubec on June 4 and 6. It was noted that a $30,000 grant from the Maine Department of Marine Resources, which required matching funds, was to be used to perform a subsurface survey of the bottom area planned for the Safe Harbor. Philanthropist Gilbert Butler had agreed to provide additional funds toward this study so that the survey will be done without taxpayer funds.
     According to government statistics, commercial fishing is the most dangerous occupation in the United States, well ahead of logging. Research performed by Trescott resident Julie Keene, the Safe Harbor committee chair, indicates that four deaths could have been prevented had a breakwater such as the one envisioned been available. This does not include events that happen on boats at sea; the four were all lost while attempting to come ashore -- typically on a skiff -- during foul weather.

These incidents were over a period of time.
     Part of the plan includes providing the Maine Marine Patrol with dock space that would allow their boat to be available full‑time, 12 months out of the year. One event was mentioned when Marine Patrol officers were unable to launch their boat in time to prevent a hypothermia event in the Lubec Narrows, as all potential launch locations were blocked by built‑up ice.