The Nubble is Finished…and That is Another Season in the Books for Dunnybrook Co.

  The Nubble tower is finished. 25 lifts of staging, 60 plank, scaffolding pipes, netting etc. all brought over by tram, lugged uphill and erected. Old paint and rust removed from tower, tower windows and underneath the lantern deck. One coat of primer, 2 coats of expensive marine-grade paint, and new Christmas lights put up. Then tear down staging, carry it back down the hill to tram it back to the mainland. 

     What a perfect way to wrap up a great year. We started at Marshall Point in April, took on our greatest challenge in June with Narraguagus, worked on the must see Seguin Light station and ended on our home turf, The Nubble. This completes the second year of the Dunnybrook Co  ship sailing under its own flag.  The work has not been easy and the miles between us and home seem to only increase with every job, but someone’s gotta  do it, might as well be us. 

        I want to thank the crew. None of this happens without Jake Johnson and Wade Thomas. No one in Maine  has done the volume of hands on lighthouse work and there’s no other crew I'd rather work with. Thank you guys. 

      A special thanks to my wife, Nicole, for holding down the fort when we are away and helping to keep the ship off the rocks. 

     Dunnybrook Co wishes everyone a great rest of the year. We will be back in April when we head to our favorite island to work on Isle Au Haut Light, followed by another new adventure to test our mettle, Moose Peak Light. Wait until you see this one. 

       Let hunting season begin....

The Nubble

After a long summer of traveling, Dunnybrook Co finally gets a home game. This fall we will be working on Cape Neddick Light on Nubble Island, or "The Nubble" as the world knows it. Put in to service in 1879, Nubble light is one of the last eight Maine lighthouses to still have its Fresnal lens. The Nubble is the quintessential classic American lighthouse with the most enthusiastic supporters of any lighthouse we've worked on.

The Nubble is special to the town of York and its residents, but it holds a special significance to the Dunnybrook Co crew as well. We are all thrilled to be back working here once again. Wades first lighthouse job was on the Nubble. The Nubble marked Jake’s return to the trade. As for me, I don't know if any other lighthouse has taught me so much about the business or contributed to the aspirations of making this a lifelong career. It was here that I first envisioned what would become Dunnybrook Co..... a partnership of adventurers, working together as a team, traveling to remote places, navigating any and all terrain, taking on all weather conditions to restore and bring life back to one of Maines most iconic treasures.......its Lighthouses. Not everyone can do this type of work. We are the lucky ones.

Seguin

Commissioned by George Washington, Seguin Light was built in 1795 and is Maine’s second oldest lighthouse. (Portland Headlight, cause I know you're wondering) It’s original purpose was for maritime navigation, and to assist  imports and exports from the mouth of the Kennebec River, such as wood products, timber, ice, furs, etc. Seguin Light can be identified by the constant white light from the lantern, it does not "blink" like other lighthouses. 

     Dunnybrook Co has been hired to restore the Parapet, exterior lantern wall, deck and railing. This has been a little more luxurious than our last job.  We had a machine to bring our gear right to the lighthouse upon departing the boat. There is electricity. There is even running water. Dirty days and nice nights outside watching movies, one of the best night sky's around. We try to make the job as fun as we can. This is a great place to visit for anyone who likes islands or lighthouses. As always the guys are doing a great job and handle any surprises that come our way. We are lucky to do this for a living. 

      As great of a career as this is and as lucky as we are to do this work, it doesn't come without sacrifice. Sunsets, seals and scenic views are great, but never seem to fill the void of being away from home. We all get homesick. I miss evenings with my wife and my daughter is growing so fast it stings to give up days with her. But they are the reason why I do this for a living, it’s what is best for the family. Family comes first, no matter how far away they are.

Narraguagus Update #2

  The second part of our Narraguagus Light lantern project centered around getting the glass to the lighthouse and installing it. Four crates weighing roughly 85lbs filled with fragile glass carried across an island that could break anything it wanted.  The mosquitos had grown bigger since our first trip out and probably have helped us carry the crates, but were too focused on lunch.     

      Once the glass arrived at it’s destination, the hardest part was done. Now just pull it up the side of the tower by hand and rope, and set it between a metal frame and metal stops without breaking any. With a little luck on our side we were able to install it all, the glass, the stops, some of which we had to replace and the bolts, all without too much issue. We re-caulked the glass and did the final coat of all the paints and coatings. 

       Narraguagus Light was by far the biggest challenge we've had working on lighthouses. I also think it's safe to say this was some of our best work and going forward it will be the job that all other jobs are measured against.  

        A ship doesn't sail without a crew and Dunnybrook Co has the best crew around. Without you guys, this job would not have been possible. Here's to our next adventure.

Narraguagus Update #1

Narraguagus Light Station, on Pond Island, off the coast of Milbridge, Maine was established in 1853. It was decommissioned in 1934 by the US  Coast Guard and sold at auction to a private family who have taken care of it through 3 generations. 

     As time catches up to us all, so it has for this great Maine Coast landmark.  Dunnybrook Co has been hired to stabilize and restore the interior and exterior of the lantern. 

       A 4 hour drive from home, carrying equipment, materials and supplies from the truck to the lobster boat we hired, the ride to the island, where we transferred everything to a skiff to get us to shore, where we then walked it all up the beach and loaded it onto a gator and trailer, which mercifully took some work off our shoulders and brought us to the starting point of the real adventure. We put all our belongings on a fields edge, where we took our first of many trips, carrying everything by hand on what’s best described as a 700-800 yard goat path over rocks, roots, mudholes and through mosquito  infested woods. We finally reached our destination. We stay over night in the keepers house with no electricity and no running water. But if its good enough for the bats that live in there, well then its good enough for us. 

    Out of the 22 lighthouses that I have worked on, 10 with our 3 man Dunnybrook crew, this is by far not only the most challenging, but also the one most in need of attention. 

    We removed what broken glass was left, took off the old glass stops, ground all the loose rust off, top to bottom, inside and out. Every inch will be primed and painted two coats and every one of the 120 bolts holding the glass stops on had to be drilled out a re-tapped for new hardware. 

   Be sure to check back in to see how we did on the second part of our adventure, where we bring the new glass to the island, by truck, boat, gator and trail to be installed in what has definitely been our greatest challenge to date. 

      This job would not be possible without the adventurous spirit and stubborn will of the Dunnybrook Co Crew. 

Next Stop - Narraguagus

The crew will be working on the lighthouse at Narraguagus starting next week. This island has no power or running water so we will be basically camping out for the duration of this project. It will be a challenge but we are up for it! Check back for updates.

Check back soon!

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