The Cautionary Tale of Boon Island
Boon Island as seen from the shore. Summer is the time for vacations. Growing up in Massachusetts one of my family’s favorite vacation spots was York Beach, Maine. How many wonderful memories I have of that quaint seaside town. Summer vacation always included a little bit of reading, and one summer I remember reading the story of a small island just 6 miles off the coast of Maine – Boon Island. It’s really just a big rock out there in the Atlantic measuring only 300 by 700 feet. On a clear day, you can see the island from the beach. You can especially make out the lighthouse, the tallest in Maine, rising from the barren rock. But the story I read that summer took place before there was a lighthouse. In December of 1710, a British merchant ship carrying 14 crewmen crashed into the island. Of those, 10 ended up surviving the harsh winter weather with no food and no fire until their rescue 24 days later. The book tells the story of those ha...