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V O L . X X X N O. X X I V O C T O B E R 2 1 , 2 0 2 4 26 M I D C O A S T / D OW N E A S T F O C U S of space available in Eastport, moving there last year. "Our first week in Eastport, we sold out of almost every stick of furniture we had," says Novack. e couple picks up previously owned items, refinishes them, then prices for locals. "My thought was, 'Let's go for the locals. ey're going to be our bread and butter,'" says Bruce. Tourists aren't going to buy fur- niture, he notes. So they explored smaller goods, particularly for cruise passengers. "We drove to other port towns that receive cruise ships, and went through their stores to see what they were sell- ing," says Bruce. "We found a couple of lines we really liked and started carrying those items as well" such as nautically themed items like whales and boats that easily tuck into luggage. "It's vital as a store owner to assess what's going on in your community," says Bruce. 'Intentional destination' ere are challenges to attract- ing new businesses and residents. Eastport has a health center but the nearest hospital is in Calais, 30 miles away. Lodging infrastructure is lim- ited. Properties are being converted to vacation rentals, taking away from affordable rentals. It can be hard to find employees or retail goods. For Stanczyk, finding cer- tain types of wine means driving several hours to Ellsworth or Portland. "You don't stumble upon Eastport by accident," notes Lowden. "It's an intentional destination." "Intention" underpins the cruise market, too. "You think cruising in Maine, everyone thinks Bar Harbor," says Gardner. When Gardner was hired in 2007, one task was finding a way to make Eastport better known to the cruise industry. e next five years saw a handful of small to mid-size ships. e 2014 col- lapse of the breakwater, the predomi- nant pier adjacent to the downtown, interrupted the flow. "e industry kind of stopped talking to us, because they knew we'd be shut down for a period of years," he says. When reconstruction was fin- ished, the plan was to restart cruise ship visits in 2020. at didn't happen. But the Riviera situation proved the port could accom- modate larger ships. at resulted in the Zaandam's visit in 2023, then the Enchanted Princess last month. e port authority maintains a long-time presence at cruise industry trade shows and a relationship with CruiseMaine. "We've always been the little port that could," Gardner says. "And every- one said 'Yeah, but you're just a small place.' When the Riviera came in, that got us more mainstream. e indus- try recognizes that Eastport puts its money where its mouth is." For 2025, Eastport has nearly 20 ships scheduled; about half in the smaller range of 400 to 500 feet, with 300 to 500 passengers, coming in the spring and fall. In 2025, for the first time, the city will see ships from June through August, one arriving every 10 to 12 days. Planning the market from the get- go could be key to Eastport's success, says Gardner. "We're a one-pier, one-boat kind of town," says Gardner. "Our approach will always be one boat. By doing that, we can properly manage this." He adds, "We are living in a gem. All we need to do is make sure people understand what kind of gem it is." Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber @ mainebiz.biz We're not just part of the Midcoast & Downeast Community… www.nickoday.com | 207-989-7400 | 35 Airport Road, Brewer, Maine 04412 NICKERSON & O'DAY, INC. Constructors – Since 1952 — WE BUILT IT! — ACADIA GATEWAY, TRENTON MDI BIO LAB, BAR HARBOR BAR HARBOR AIRPORT, TRENTON MCFARLAND HILL MAINTENANCE BLDG., BAR HARBOR JOBS THE WORLD NEEDS. CAREERS PEOPLE LOVE. EXPERTISE THE MARKET DEMANDS. THEY ALL COME TOGETHER AT HUSSON. THEY ALL 1 COLLEGE CIRCLE | BANGOR, MAINE 207.941.7000 | husson.edu » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y J E S S E S H AW From left, local musicians John McCurdy, Denise McCurdy, Andy Radin and Joan Lowden busk on Water Street for the Enchanted Princess in September.

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