On Sept. 20 and 21, local organizers hosted  Belfast Harbor Tours for the handicapped. The tours were wheelchair, cane, and walker accessible, and made possible by a donation of Port Harbor Marine, Rockport. Mike Hurley, of Belfast, submitted the following report of two successful afternoons on the water.

By Mike Hurley

Port Harbor Marine and Mark Hansen donated the beautiful pontoon boat and delivered it to the harbor Saturday morning, Sept. 20. We had a beautiful crisp fall day with a breeze. The boat performed flawlessly.

We had an amazing crew of helpers: Ed Powers and Sue Mackarness, Therese Bagnardi, Jimmy Green, Nate Pickering, and Chip Lagerbom all lent a hand making sure people made it on and off the boat safely: without them volunteering it would have been a much more interesting process.

We had very young Rafe and James, kind of old like Oren and others, folks in wheel chairs (Neva Allen is a master of hers and did a three-point turn before backing into place), canes, walkers, able bodied friends and family and caregivers all came aboard.

On Saturday, we had 40 riders and on Sunday we had 30. The Mayor represented the city and came by both days, and defined the term “missed the boat.” But he showed up!  

We went up the harbor past tug boats, 3 Tides and Front Street Shipyard, etc. Passed under two bridges before coming out and tooted past Young's before coming back across the harbor to see the boat house, head back up harbor past Paul Naron and the breakwater and docking again. Each load-unload-ride took about an hour.

Thanks to everyone who helped, who came for a ride, who allowed us to dock and run out of the harbor, and again: Port Harbor Marine in Rockport who without them this was just a dream spoken out loud.

I knew there were many disabled or mobility challenged people and they deserved a harbor ride but I now have an even greater appreciation for all the support caregivers, the friends, family, professionals who make lives better. 

Hopefully this event has real support from the City of Belfast going forward and it will be incorporated into budgets for coming years. It’s often said “nothing about us without us” but the reality is there is very little recreationally provided to the disabled and mobility challenged anywhere…. and a great deal for the able bodied.

Let’s hope this event will help make events such as this a common occurrence. Thank you again… see you on the water! 

Mike Hurley lives in Belfast