ROCKLAND — “We’re not the only ones,” said Lindsey Pinkham, Maine Maritime Academy classmate to Danielle Randolph. “I’m sure there are plenty of you sitting out there who’d understand what it means when the sea puts its hooks to you and you know you’ve found your other home.”

Pinkham said that many people don’t make the choice to leave the safety of dry land, the known. “And many people don’t understand why we do it,” she said. “There are risks. And there are rewards. But they always said, smooth seas never make for good sailors.”

Pinkham was one of several speakers at a ceremony, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in Rockland, marking the upcoming ten-year anniversary of the sinking of the merchant vessel El Faro during a hurricane, in which two Midcoast residents perished alongside 31 shipmates. Jay Sawyer, the sculptor of El Faro Salute!, organized the event, which reflected the grief, the memories, the personalities, the promises, and the forward motion that surfaced from the Oct. 1, 2015 tragedy.

Dylan Meklin’s uncle, Mike Robinson, read the poem that “fell out of my pen,” seven days following the news of the El Faro’s sinking. The nameless poem, if pressed to have a name, would simply be “Dylan”. The final line being: “But in the end, we all know, it wasn’t meant to be.”

"There is not one of us, when cautioned by a friend or family member to be careful, hasn't responded with 'I'll be fine. Don't worry about me,'" said Dave Sulin. "I have no doubt in my mind that the 33 brave souls that you are honoring today with your presence....felt exactly that same way."

In order to transport the products that consumers rely upon, Merchant Mariners face long stretches away from home and a steady sense of duty, according to Marissa Cap, East Coast Representative with the American Maritime Officers.

“The crew of El Faro lived with that calling fully,” she said. “They faced the demand for the sea with skill and resolve, serving their families, their company and their country. Their loss is not in vain. The tragedy of the El Faro forced the industry, regulators, and all of us, to take a hard look at safety, training, and accountability. Lives have been protective. And while no reform can ever erase the grief of a family, the legacy of the El Faro is carried forward. And with every mariner who now sails under stronger protection.”

“To the families, I want to say this. Your loved ones are not forgotten,” Cap continued. “They live on in our memories, in the lessons we carry, and in the community that’s gathered here today.”

Stephen Parker knew of all the El Faro crew and sailed with most of them. In pointing to the sculpture, Parker said: "In a couple of hundred years, this is going to be standing, but we won’t. Your grandsons and daughters will say, ‘hey, that was my great aunt.’

The ceremony and the sculpture are a time and place not only for grieving and healing, but also bonding. Cap said the El Faro Salute! is more than a memorial. It’s a promise that their service and sacrifice will continue to inspire others.

“And a promise that we will remain united and will work toward a safer future for all mariners,” she said.

Craig Johnson, president of Maine Maritime Academy, choked up when he said the El Faro crew holds a special place in his heart. Yet along with remembering the crew on this day, Johnson also spoke of how MMA is moving forward. Along with adding some remembrances to the Academy’s new ship, the school is working on new curriculum that addresses some of the lessons learned.

“We will remember them by our actions, by our thoughts moving forward, and by training the next level of mariners,” said Johnson.

Maine Maritime Academy has 90 new students this year.

“We need the mariners,” he said. “We need to create more mariners. Do it in a safe and effective manner. Learning the past. Embracing the future. And looking forward. But always remembering those before you.”

As with Pinkham, Johnson reminded the audience that every mariner, every family member, always has that concern when they go out to sea.

“It’s a risky business,” he said. “But, we will prepare the next level of mariners for this, with the right mindset, with the memory of those passed.”

Rockland is one of three El Faro memorials. Before Mike Robinson recited his "Dylan" poem, he shared with the audience that members of his family will be travelling to Jacksonville, Florida for the official Oct. 1 ceremony. 

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com

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Rockland commemorates installation of El Faro Salute

Hand, heart and steel: ‘El Faro’ memorial nears completion; dedication ceremony planned for September

Proposed El Faro Salute! memorial rises as fifth anniversary of sinking nears

Coast Guard releases Final Action Memo regarding El Faro sinking, loss of 33 crewmembers