New Business at Holbrook’s Wharf

Holbrook Wharf has been rebuilt and greatly improved. Last renovated in 1945, the wharf was in very poor condition with rotten pilings and decking. A new structure has been built for use by commercial fishermen. This space is available for lease to 4-5 fishing-related businesses, and the all-tide deep water wharf accommodates commercial fishing boats for loading and unloading. The new ground-level section of the wharf provides direct access for trucks, a vital improvement for users.

A cement ramp on the rebuilt wharf provides direct truck access onto the wharf, allowing efficient loading and unloading for commercial fishermen. The newest vessel in the Cundy’s Harbor fleet, the 95-foot purse seiner Ruth & Pat, unloaded almost half a million pounds of herring bait fish this summer. The fish were pumped directly from the vessel’s hold to a dewatering box on the wharf. Trucks, including 18-wheelers, drove onto the wharf and parked below the tank where the fish were pumped into their open holding tanks. To keep the harbor clean, excess gurry was pumped back to the Ruth & Pat for disposal at sea. Before Holbrook’s provided this service, boats had to go to Portland for unloading. While HCF earns income from wharf fees, visitors can witness the intricacies of a working waterfront up close.

Rebuilding the Wharf

Photos by Elsa Martz show the transformation brought about by the 2009 rebuilding of Holbrook’s Wharf.