The Wharf Awakens

Happy Spring, everyone! We are on the cusp of the May; April’s final days have been passing in a blur as we prepare to open our doors for the 2010 season. The folks here at the Fisherman’s Wharf Inn have been hard at work this past week, painting and dusting, moving and shaking, all in efforts to get the hotel and restaurant open in time for our first function on May 15th. The office has moved back to the main building, and though we are fighting the chill in the air, three tiny, brave heaters are allowing us to do our jobs without blue fingers and steaming breath. One would hope, as we progress deeper into spring that the air will warm itself, and the wind off the Atlantic will lose some of its teeth, but for now, warm coats are still part of the uniform here.


Fisherman’s Festival here in Boothbay Harbor was a rousing success, again. The weather remained flawless for all three days. The Fisherman’s Wharf Inn would like extend congratulations to all those young ladies who vied for the title of Ms. Shrimp Princess Pageant; the title was carried home by Noelle Timberlake. The top three finishers’ talents were on display all day at the Fishermen’s Fest activities, as at various times, the ladies displayed their singing skills to the crowd. Young Ms. Timberlake will keep herself busy this summer with the duties of Ms. Shrimp Princess, gracing most of the important local events with her presence. If anyone has not had a chance to catch Fisherman’s Festival, 2011 would be a great time to start. There is no way to beat the local flavor of the festival, and who can complain about hot fish sandwiches and cold mudslides at the Boothbay Lobster Wharf, or the reality bending yarns spun at Tall Tales.

There are whispers in the quiet hallways of the Fisherman’s Wharf that we may see some new, tasty items on the menu this year. Yours truly hopes to speak with Executive Chef John Reed in the coming days to see if I can get some details that I can share with everyone. We have also been digging in the bar closet, and have pulled out various tasty elixirs that we will need to run through early in the season, so stay tuned for special drink specials, such as frozen Tarantula Margaritas. We are attempting to stream line the bar inventory a bit- the remaining items will be creatively turned into drink specials to tantalize the taste buds.

I know I have asked you to “stay tuned” several times, and I apologize for this. But at this time of year, everyone is working feverishly (most everyone, anyway) to prepare for the upcoming season. I will do my best to fill my loyal readers in with the new and exciting things for the upcoming season, and some that have remained the same for those people who like to find things unchanged, familiar, year after year. Till my next update, please stay healthy, wealthy and wise, and failing that, keep breathing and take each day as it comes.

The Fools of April lead to the Merriment of May

Welcome, loyal readers- I know the blog has been on hiatus, but have you looked out the window? The weather, for the most part, has been quite lovely. The sun has been shining down on us, the grass is growing rampant, and the music of birds chirping fills the air. And that means it is almost time to move back to our regular season office, back to the main building, to blow the dust of winter off the old hotel, and bring it back to life for another season.


Now, for those who have never worked in a hotel, there is a lot to this process. As is any good business, the Fisherman's Wharf Inn is a multi-limbed organism that must operate with coordination to maximize efficiency. All departments have their own ways of preparing for the season, but it is a must that all departments pull their weight, or the hotel as a whole will fall short of the finish line, or as it is in this case, the starting line. Come high water or the turning of the tides, the whole operation must be ready to go when the first guests walk through the door. In the end, the middle and the beginning, the guests are what it is all about.

I am off to a conference tomorrow about the burgeoning role of social media in the hospitality industry, and the far reaching hand of Google in it all. Hopefully, I will learn many things that will benefit both my employers and me. This is second such conference that I am attending- shortly after this first, this blog was born. Stay tuned to any changes after this second conference.

April 22nd through April 25th is Fisherman’s Festival in Boothbay Harbor, ME. Though we here at the Fisherman’s Wharf Inn are not open, we would encourage everyone that can to come visit town for this special event. It is a local celebration of the sea and the community, with events ranging from Tug O’ War to Dory Bailing. Unique in its character and flavor, Fisherman’s Festival reveals the true character of the town, the region and the people that live within it.