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Boon Island Maine
Harbour Lights #273

The adventurous Captain John Deane set sail for North America aboard his vessel, the Nottingham Galley, in December of 1710. Intent on trading his cargo of cordage (ropes used for rigging on a ship), Deane and his crew managed to endure the dangerous trek across the vast Atlantic ocean, only to wreck on a rocky islet eight miles off Maine’s shore. 

Finding themselves stranded for 26 days with nothing to eat or burn, the surviving crew had only a single piece of canvas to warm them and dead crewmates for food. The grizzly tale of cannibalism on Boon Island created a sensational story in its time, rivaled only by the Mutiny on the Bounty. Legend has it that local fishermen from York began leaving barrels of provisions on the island after this disaster, providing a “boon” for survivors of shipwrecks. These emergency rations would be delivered for more than 200 years by concerned mariners, hence the name Boon Island. Other stories attribute the name, Boon Island, to the rescue of four men in 1682 who attributed their survival to a “boon” granted by God and named the island after that life-altering event. 

The barren isle is only eight miles from shore, but it might as well be a hundred miles during stormy conditions, or in times of crisis. Keepers began tending a light on Boon Island as early as 1811, when the first of three towers would be erected. The first two sentinels were weather worn and deemed inadequate, so a 133-foot tall, granite tower was erected in 1855. The unpainted, gray beacon was accompanied by keeper’s quarters, which now lie in ruins. The Second order Fresnel lens provided a much- needed light, but required constant attention by a dedicated Keeper. At times, it was impossible to man the station or to convince Keepers to remain at their posts. Many quit within weeks or months of their commission.

Keeper William W. Williams spent 27 years from the 1890’s to World War I at Boon Island, bringing barrels of dirt to plant flowers and vegetables on the rock. He used carrier pigeons to transport messages to the mainland. He once said that the worst job he has ever had was painting the cap of the lantern black. Tragic tales of loss occurred over the years, including a wife who’d gone mad when her husband unexpectedly died and she was left on her own for weeks. There were stories of Keepers who sent messages in bottles, pleading for food and rescue, and of pounding waves that overtook the island, washing away the resolve of its inhabitants.

After a particularly perilous storm destroyed the dwelling and the Keepers had to be rescued from the top of the lighthouse by helicopter, officials automated the station. The Fresnel lens was removed and a solar-powered optic was installed in its place. 

Boon Island is leased to the American Lighthouse Foundation and it is still an active aid to navigation. The island is currently uninhabited and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It can be enjoyed from the deck of a private ship or from the lighthouse cruise offered by the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

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