Sunbeam V arrives in Stonington Harbor, ME on 9-13-18. (Photo by Douglas Cornman)
BAR HARBOR, ME — The Sunbeam V arrived in Stonington, ME on Thursday, September 13 for the boat’s annual routine maintenance. Missing the tide by just 15-minutes, the Sunbeam waited until the next day to be hauled up-and-out of the water and put in dry dock.
With the Sunbeam’s major refitting six months away, Captain Michael Johnson said the crew is focusing this maintenance on “the normal fresh exterior coat of paint and some plumbing work.” Also, the Sunbeam’s engine will have “a tune-up,” just as the family car engine has scheduled tune-ups, to “make sure everything’s within specification,” said Captain Johnson.
Sunbeam Steward Jillian is taking the lead on giving the boat interior a “deep cleaning” in dry dock.
Until the Sunbeam is back in service, the crew — Island Outreach Director Douglas Cornman, Island Health Director Sharon Daley, and Steward Jillian — will continue their work among communities on the Maine islands they serve, relying on island mail boats, water taxis, local island facilities, and Penobscot Island Air.
Even in dry dock, you can rely on the boat online calendar for following the Sunbeam crew’s activities.