Ogunquit News
Ogunquit's Finestkind celebrates 50 years
By C. Ayn Douglass
Finestkind crewmember Pat Weare asked permission of Harbormaster Harry Horning to put up a banner just for the day on Friday to commemorate Finestkind's 50th anniversary. As Weare put it, "We must always celebrate the great times in our lives. Otherwise it's just another day."
Photo by C. Ayn Douglass
OGUNQUIT - More than 50 years ago, two men who struck up a friendship through fishing excursions on the Isabella J. out of Perkins Cove struck a bargain without so much as a handshake - just a gentlemen's agreement.
That bargain resulted in a celebration Friday night of a 50th anniversary for Finestkind Scenic Cruises.
The two men, Oscar Hubbard and Billy Tower, remained friends and business icons in Perkins Cover until Hubbard's death six years ago with nothing more than a loosely drafted agreement that, according to Tower, neither ever signed.
Tower would run a restaurant and Hubbard would use the dock to operate a cruise line.
Tower and his family still operate Barnacle Billy's and Billy's, Etc., and the Hubbard family, under the leadership of Eleanor Hubbard, still run cruises out of the cove to the Nubble Lighthouse, to Wells for breakfast and on the lobster boat for lobster demonstrations.
Seasonally, thousands of people of all ages make Billy's and Finestkind part of their annual Ogunquit visit.
The first week of July marked the 50th anniversary of Finestkind, and crewmember and party organizer Pat Weare was not inclined to let that day go unnoticed. Starting a few weeks ago, she began coordinating the rest of the crew for a celebration to honor the Hubbards and to celebrate the birthday of lobster boat captain Grant Hubbard.
"We must always celebrate the great times in our lives, otherwise it's just another day," Weare said.
The crew was on board with the idea and Friday night they all met at the dock for snacks, champagne and cake.
Eleanor Hubbard, Oscar's wife, recalled the early days of Finestkind.
"Both Billy and Oscar loved to fish. Theirs was the youngest crew on the coast and they did the best fishing," she said. "In the fall of the year, we converted the fishing boat to go on trips and back then the season was from July 4 to Labor Day. We used to do three trips. One to Boon Island, one to the lighthouse and one sunset cruise. There were no Coast Guard inspections back then and we had a gasoline engine in the boat that broke down so many times."
Eventually, the Hubbards sold that first boat to finance the building of the largest boat in the cove, the Finestkind III. The fleet was complete with three wooden boats doing various duties and the Cricket, a sailboat that cruises several times a day wherever the wind takes it.
Crewmembers who celebrated with the Hubbards on Friday represented a broad range of expertise. With the exception of the captains, few have very much boating experience.
Nine-year crewmember Jerry Maine - and yes, he said, that is his real last name - was formerly a summer cove patrol policeman.
"I got friendly with the Hubbards, saw how much fun it was and how everybody had such a good time. It was hard for me at first because I've always been shy, didn't know anything about lobstering, and didn't know how to tend bar, but I learned," he said. "I can't afford to own my own boat, but I get to be on the water all day, the crew is great - and they pay me for it."
Serving his first full season is Steve Garger.
"I retired from corporate sales after 32 years and I've been taking Finestkind cruises for 25 years, half of their history," he said. "Last year I e-mailed (them) and the rest is history. I like it and I like the crew. The employees are a good blend of young college kids and us 'veterans.' And, they pay you to be on the ocean."
The cruise season has expanded since those early days. Finestkind opens in mid-April and runs through Columbus Day in keeping with the extended spring-into-fall tourism season of the region.
And, the principle that the company was founded on still remains, according to Eleanor Hubbard.
"We want the visitors to enjoy the Maine coast as much as we do," she said.
Happy Anniversary, Finestkind.
To book a trip on Finestkind, call 363-5227 or visit them on their website at www.finestkindcruises.com.
