LINCOLNVILLE — Selectmen in Lincolnville will hear Monday evening, April 14, from schooner Captain Ray Williamson, co-owner of Maine Windjammer Cruises, about his family’s plans to expand business this summer and moor the Pinky schooner Summertime in the town’s outer harbor.

The regularly scheduled meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Lincolnville Town Office with an agenda that also includes other municipal business, such as what to do about an an expired real estate deal, public hearings on amusement permits for two businesses, and calling the town to assemble in late May to discuss the $11.8 million Camden Hills Regional High School budget.

Williamson is securing two moorings at Lincolnville Beach, one in the outer harbor, where the 52-foot Summertime will be moored, and another inner harbor mooring, where he will tie up the Sally, a 27-foot Hodgdon-built lobster boat that was launched in 1941.

The Sally will transport passengers back and forth from the town pier  to the Summertime, which they will board for two- and four-hour cruises, or for overnights on Penobscot Bay.

The Sally will also take tourists, up to six at a time, on trips to watch lobstermen at work, learn how lobsters are caught, and hold lobster picnics on islands.

Williamson plans to attend the Monday evening regularly scheduled meeting of the Lincolnville selectmen to talk about his plans and logistics. 

“It’s a family business,” said Williamson, April 11.

His daughters Allysa and Kristie will be running the Summertime, Williamson said. The Summertime will be the fourth in the Williamson’s schooner fleet that includes the Grace Bailey, Mercantile and Mistress, all of which sail out of Camden. 

Williamson has a contract to charter the Summertime through the summer, he said.

Earlier in the winter, Williamson had approached the Lincolnville Harbor Committee about bringing the Summertime to the inner harbor to the town pier to pick up and unload passengers.

Lincolnville’s harbor is small, and is a crescent-shaped section of Lincolnville Beach partially protected by the Maine State Ferry Terminal. There is a large pier at the harbor for fishermen and recreational boaters, and the town received a grant in February from the state to finish building a wave screen to further protect boats from wind and wave action.

In order to take the Summertime to the pier, however, a town ordinance amendment would be necessary, because vessels tying to the pier are limited in length to 45 feet.

Taking the Summertime, whose draft is six feet, all the way to the pier might also require dredging, because the water depth at low tide there is a mere three to four feet. 

Harbor Master Mike Hutchings had expressed hesitation about the Summertime using the pier, citing poor weather conditions there when the wind blows out of the north, and possible boat congestion in the early morning hours when fishermen are heading out and work crews are traveling by boat to Islesboro. He also said turbulence produced by the Islesboro ferry when engines are running would be a source of concern.

The Summertime was built by George Allen in Brooklin, and launched in 1986. The schooner is a “pinky,” referring to the the lift of the schooner’s stern, and derives from boat designs of the 1600s. It has been moored in Rockland.

The Harbor Committee met again with Williamson last month, and the new plans were crafted, eliminating the need for an ordinance change.

In other town business

The selectmen Monday evening will consider moving a portion of the Fernald’s Neck Road to mitigate the public way’s effect on property owner Alex Kuli. He has approached to the town, asking that it relocate a portion of the road, which would make the roadway longer by approximately 300 feet.

“The Road Commissioner has reviewed the proposed construction details and is satisfied,” wrote Town Administrator David Kinney, in his pre-meeting newsletter to the Lincolnville Selectmen.  

Voters would have to approve the road relocation at a town meeting.

Selectmen will also discuss whether to craft a town policy governing use of the town office space. Kinney said he had been approached by a nonprofit requesting to meet in the town office meeting room.

“As the board has not developed a policy outlining the use to of the building by others I denied the request,” he wrote. He suggested the town review a School Union 69 (Appleton, Hope and Lincolnville) policy governing outside use the Lincolnville Central School.

“Beyond the obvious security and wear/tear/custodial issues, if the board chooses to develop a policy it will need to consider first amendment right issues (if you allow some, you may need to allow all) and if the town wants to compete with private for profit or nonprofit enterprises (the Center Community Building, the Tranquility Grange, the LIA, restaurants, etc.) for rentals,” he wrote.

And finally, the selectmen will consider signing the Warrant to Call the Five Town CSD budget meeting, scheduled for May 27. That is the evening when the town has the opportunity to debate the proposed 2014-2015 budget governing Camden Hills Regional High School. (See attached PDF for the budget summary, and reasons for increase).

Townspeople will vote on the proposed budget June 10 at the polls at the regular voting day for annual Town Meeting.

The proposed CSD budget is $11.8 million, up 5.51 percent, or $529,708, from the current budget. Lincolnville’s share of the budget is $1.8 million, up $51,399 from the current budget.

Editorial Director Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657.