Sunbeam Open Houses and Walk Aboards

Each summer, Maine Seacoast Mission welcomes the public aboard its iconic boat. Two recurring opportunities are Sunbeam Open Houses and Sunbeam Walk-Aboards. 2025 events have concluded. Please check back in spring for the summer 2026 schedule.

The current Sunbeam, the fifth of its name, has been in service since 1995 and received a total refit in 2020. The boat regularly visits six unbridged islands offering both education, outreach, and medical services. These programs support residents of all of Maine’s 15 unbridged islands with year-round populations.

Five to six Sunbeam Open Houses occur along the Maine coast, often in partnership with our community partners. Sunbeam Walk-Aboards are guided, dockside tours that take place each Friday in July and August at its home port at the Northeast Harbor Marina. Visitors will learn about the organization’s history and its programming on unbridged islands and in the Downeast region. During the tour, attendees will glimpse the boat’s inner workings, learn the Mission’s history of service, and understand what is needed to provide year-round services to island communities. These events are free, open to the public, and kid-friendly.