A special introduction:
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Our History
Captain Jim Sharp likes to tell the story of how he and his wife, Meg, were taking a gander at a lifetime of collections from years aboard a unique series of vessels of all sorts: fiberglass, wood, steel, cement; diesel, gas, steam, sail; new, old; river, ocean, lake -- you name it, they've done it! As the good Captain tells it, Meg thought they'd collected just about enough and raised the dreaded question, "So, what are we going to do with all this stuff?"
As fate would have it, a property became available on Rockland harbor. The former home of Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, its history revealed a fascinating past: it was also the former home of the old Snow Shipyard, Rockland's largest ship builder back in the glory days of sail along the Maine coast. Ship building has also formed the backbone of Rockland's industrial past, supporting the granite and lime industries, passenger travel, ice distribution around the world, fishing -- the list goes on and on. But we digress ...
Back to Meg and Captain Jim...
After a lot of discussion with friends and family, the two decided that the best home for their collections would be in a museum. They bought the property in 2007 and Sharp's Point South (an office center and marina) was formed, and the Sail, Power, and Steam Museum found a home to house the collection.
As fate would have it, a property became available on Rockland harbor. The former home of Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, its history revealed a fascinating past: it was also the former home of the old Snow Shipyard, Rockland's largest ship builder back in the glory days of sail along the Maine coast. Ship building has also formed the backbone of Rockland's industrial past, supporting the granite and lime industries, passenger travel, ice distribution around the world, fishing -- the list goes on and on. But we digress ...
Back to Meg and Captain Jim...
After a lot of discussion with friends and family, the two decided that the best home for their collections would be in a museum. They bought the property in 2007 and Sharp's Point South (an office center and marina) was formed, and the Sail, Power, and Steam Museum found a home to house the collection.
Today
Fast forward to today, and the collection has grown -- and so has our mission! We are now the home of the Midcoast Sailing Center; an ever-expanding collection of marine memorabilia, engines, and boats; a musical home for musicians; a boat shop that maintains and restores our collection of boats and engines; and a waterfront event space -- under the stars. In the museum, or under our tent, right next to Snow Marine Park and on the shores of Rockland's working waterfront. And all of this is just a hop and jump away from downtown Rockland, at the southern end of the Rockland Harbor Trail.