Annual Boat & Home Show Goes Green

The Maine Boat & Home Show, August 9-11, 2019, in Rockland, Maine, has implemented a fleet of new initiatives this year as part of an ongoing effort to become a Zero Waste event.

Show organizer John K. Hanson, Jr., said, "We've been moving for a long time toward a goal of being a low-impact event. Most recently, we've cut back on paper mailings, gone to digital ticketing, gotten rid of the plastic wristbands at the entry gates, and we've even asked our exhibitors to bring back their used plastic exhibitor badge holders. Every little bit counts. We've got reusable exhibitor lanyards too, thanks to Rock Harbor Brewing, and in the Awlgrip Exhibitor Lounge the water bottles are recyclable and returnable.

'That's all well and good, but probably the most intriguing new presence at the show this year will be ScrapDogs Community Compost, a local operation that collects food and yard waste from midcoast Maine residents and businesses. They process the waste into compost, and then sell the finished product locally. So you don't need to have your own compost bin--they will do it for you."

Davis Saltonstall, co-founder of ScrapDogs along with Tessa Rosenberry, said, "We approached the show knowing that a significant amount of waste must be generated when you have thousands of folks enjoying one location over a weekend. It seemed a perfect showcase for us to help reduce that, and also spread the word about the joys and benefits of composting.

“There will be special ScrapDogs food-waste collection receptacles in place for commercial and public use, which we will empty daily. Then we’ll take these organic materials away from the event site and compost them. Some attendees and exhibitors may be unfamiliar with composting, but we’ll be on hand all weekend to coach them regarding what materials are accepted in compost containers. We’ll have a booth near the Food Court where we can answer questions, and we’ll also offer a really fun recycling game for the younger attendees.”

Greener Wakes

A sizable segment of exhibitors will also have environmentally conscious offerings on hand. On the sailing front, Maine Cat, known for its high-performance composite sailing multihulls built in Bremen, has partnered with E-TECH Electric Drives, manufacturer of electric propulsion drives with hydroelectric generation. Maine Cat’s MC 38 LS-E can make its own clean electric power while sailing with the drives. The individually crafted Pisces 21 by Classic Boat Shop offers an optional inboard electric drive equipped with either two AGM batteries or a Lithium Ion battery and fast charger.

Speaking of propulsion, attendees won't want to miss the Maine Ocean School’s cordless canoes. As part of a summer session before the show, MOS students will design and build a vessel, then power it with two 18-volt cordless electric power-tool heads. Show-goers can learn all about it at the MOS booth in Area A. There will also be an on-water demonstration on the boat docks on Saturday afternoon.

Then there’s the diesel-electric steamship America, which will be on the Icon Dock all day on Friday.The vessel is nearly 59 feet long, yet propulsion comes from two 60-Kw electric drives while two diesel generators charge the battery bank. It is similar to a hybrid car, but the combustion engines charge batteries instead of turning the props directly. America was built from a bare hull using repurposed materials, including wood from discarded parts of houses and buildings.

Keeping a classic yacht in top shape is a wonderful example of "reuse." Lyman-Morse Boatbuiding will have a beauty on the docks in Bevinda, a 36′ custom-built flybridge downeaster built in 1990 that is ready for a new owner. Gray & Gray Yachts will also have a bevy of previously loved classics on show.

Another "recycling" option is to donate a well-loved vessel to the likes of Maritime Funding Association of Maine. They will be on hand to help owners donate their no-longer-used boats to generate money for a host of Maine nonprofits. It's a win-win: the owner gets a tax break and the nonprofits get much-needed funding.

Greener Homes

Visitors can stop by the ScrapDogs exhibit near the Food Court to learn more about reducing the amount of waste generated by their household. Maine Energy Systems, which specializes in wood-pellet boilers and furnaces, will be in Outdoor West. Built in Bethel, Maine, their boiler design was acquired from ÖkoFEN, a world leader in automatic wood pellet boiler design and technology. MES’s mission is to inspire a transition to renewable, stably priced, carbon-neutral wood-pellet fuel for heating homes and businesses.

The heating system is important, but so is keeping the heat inside the building. That’s where energy-efficient replacement windows such as those offered by Renewal by Anderson (in Tent F), can come in.

Three generations of furniture and cabinetmaking craftsmanship come together at Couture Home + Design to create projects that blend wood, metal, stone, and even Maine lobster shells. Legare Cuyler at Cuyler Made will show work that includes unique chairs made from repurposed traditional wooden lobster trap parts sourced from Nova Scotia. Both will be in Tent J.

Big Ship Salvage will be back in Outdoor North with a selection of recycled brass and bronze ship fittings: portlights, lamp fixtures, binnacles, antique engine telegraphs, signal flags, and who-knows-what other intriguing goodies.

Project Puffin will have a booth in Tent G, where show-goers can learn about the organization’s ongoing efforts to preserve habitat for this personable seabird. While out in nature, insect-repellent clothing can be crucial, and Dog Not Gone has offerings for both pets and their people.

Visitors are reminded that the City of Rockland no longer allows single-use plastic bags. Options available at the show include the sturdy carry-alls from Sea Bags, which crafts its totes from recycled sails, or a multi-purpose tool bag from Nantucket Bagg.

Greeener Transpo

For a dozen years or so, Stanley Subaru, the exclusive Vespa and Piaggio Dealer in Maine, has brought a colorful fleet of swift, energy-efficient scooters to the show. This a fuel-efficient mode of travel nicely complements other more methods of transportation—a scooter aboard a yacht? Why not? Greeener Transpo For a dozen years or so, Stanley Subaru, the exclusive Vespa and Piaggio Dealer in Maine, has brought a colorful fleet of swift, energy-efficient scooters to the show. This a fuel-efficient mode of travel nicely complements other more methods of transportation—a scooter aboard a yacht? Why not?

Get Here Greener

Maine NewsCenter Meteorologist Keith Carson recently did an assessment of the greenest way to get from Portland to Boston. Click here to view it. The result might surprise you, and might even change the way you decide to travel to the show. (Weather permitting, Carson and the weather van "Stormy" will be at the show on Friday, August 9.)  

*Please note: For the safety and enjoyment of all, only bona fide service animals, preferably marked as such, are allowed on show grounds (except bona fide service animals) and no baby strollers are allowed on the docks. Thanks for your consideration.