Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show Touts Living Large in a Small(er) Footprint

ROCKLAND, Maine - With the growth of land-based movements toward lower-impact living, many yachting concepts are being translated and adapted for life ashore, and a special section of the Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show, "Smart, Small Homes," will be dedicated to that proposition. At the show, which runs August 8-10, 2014, on the Rockland waterfront, attendees will find small houses to explore, right-sized furniture to test, and tents, boats, and other efficient products that could fit into their plans to live the good life in a lower-impact way. Anchoring "Smart, Small Homes" will be the "Thoreau Multimedia Center" presented by AIA Maine, the state’s chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Here, modern technology will be juxtaposed with time-honored craftsmanship: cutting-edge, digital imagery displayed in a traditional, timber-frame structure based on the cabin that Henry David Thoreau built on Walden Pond more than 150 years ago. The modern iteration at the show will be erected by Rockport Post and Beam and lined with sailcloth display panels by Pope Sails. Elsewhere in the "Small, Smart Homes" area, GO Logic, a leader in energy-efficient building design and construction, will discuss one of the company's smaller projects: "House on a Knoll," a 1,000-square-foot, year-round passive residence. Black Dog Timberworks from Hartford, Maine, will have fine examples of timber-frame joinery on display. In the ultimate "tread lightly " department, there will be an Op 200 tent designed by Bill Moss and a tiny house on a trailer built by Shed City. (Shed City will have other buildings on show grounds as well, including the Show Office and the Will-Call booth.) The younger set (and their parents) will be able to cheer on young volunteers coached by Midcoast Habitat for Humanity as they construct a house on-site from recycled wooden pallets that was designed by I-Beam Design. Rockland’s own Midcoast School of Technology students will show off a petite shingled structure they built during class. Sailors have known for years how comfortable and efficient life can be aboard a small boat: all the amenities right at hand, every inch of space put to maximum use, water and power conservation of prime importance. Come learn more about how you can live more lightly on the planet (when you are not living aboard, that is). The 2014 Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show will be held August 8-10 on the waterfront in Rockland, Maine. Gates open at 10 a.m., tickets are $12, children under age 12 get in free. Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors is very pleased to acknowledge the following sponsors of the 2014 show: Awlgrip/Interlux, Bangor Savings Bank, Bixby & Co., Custom Float Services, Dock Works, Epifanes, Fixtures Designer Plumbing Showroom, Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors magazine, Maine Made, and US Harbors. The support of the City of Rockland, Sea Bags, Loyal Biscuit Company, Bell’s Furry Friends Photography, and The Pearl Restaurant is also much appreciated. For more information and a full list of exhibitors and activities, visit http://www.maineboats.com/boatshow Background: The show was founded in 2003 by Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors magazine. Held annually during the second weekend of August in Rockland, Maine, the event attracts thousands of discerning attendees from all over the country and world. Hours: Friday, August 8, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, August 9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, August 10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $12 at the gate, under 12 free. Advance tickets are available: call 800-565-4951 or email showinfo@maineboats.com. Please note: no strollers are allowed on the docks and no pets are allowed on the show grounds. “The Magazine of the Coast,” Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors is now in its 27th year. Noted for eclectic award-winning coverage of all aspects of coastal life, the publication covers maritime matters, boats, homes, fine art, and food. The magazine has loyal subscribers around the world and more than 100,000 total readers, and an award-winning companion website (www.maineboats.com) filled with original content, photo galleries, and resources to help visitors enjoy the Maine coast. Photo credits: House: Brian Vanden Brink Pallet house: Courtesy I-Beam Design Beams: Courtesy Black Dog Timberworks Contact Information: Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors, P.O. Box 566, Rockland, ME 04841; 207-594-8622; 800-565-4951. www.maineboats.com Media Contact: Stacey Palmer, Show Manager 207-594-8622 showinfo@maineboats.com