Volunteer Jack Harris

Jack Harris juggles boats all day.

He is live-aboard mate on the 80-foot motor yacht Black Knight, a regular in Camden Harbor, and works on the 86-foot Schooner Appledore. And he fly-fishes and dinghies from his 12-foot Jarvis Newman and 10-foot Trinka sailboat in Camden Harbor.

But the boat of note is the Boston Whaler for the Curtis Island Lighthouse Foundation (CILF). As a volunteer, he is restoring the 13-foot classic to transport volunteers, benefactors, building materials, and more.

Along with help from his father, Captain Chris Harris, they have stripped rub rails, sanded old paint, fiberglass patched and puttied holes, primed, polished, and painted the Whaler. And, restored the mahogany seats and side rails.

Mike Skaling met Jack over the Whaler at the Camden Yacht Club Nautical Yard Sale this summer where the boat was purchased as a workboat for CILF. The hands-on project adds to Jack's maritime resume as he returns to the College of the Florida Keys' Marine Propulsion program this fall. He hopes to have access to the 'new' boat with trips out to the island as he earns sea-time toward his U.S. Merchant Mariner 100-ton license.

"My goals in Camden are to network with boat jobs, to gain as many connections and job opportunities as possible, and to make an impact on the community while I'm here," Jack said.

His father said, "Jack is heading this project and I'm just here to help my son, but as former caretaker of the Nantucket Light Ship that we lived aboard, I've always had a soft spot for keeping the light burning."

Chris came to Camden in the 1980s on M/Y Black Knight, and was project manager on the 91-foot Sophie, which at the time, was the largest sailing yacht launched in Camden Harbor since the 1930s.

"Jack has been a scupper rat on every boat I've worked and lived on since he was three years old."

As for Jack juggling all these boats, also look for him as a professional juggler around town.

Written by Dorie Cox