MAINE PUBLIC • April 29, 2024
A working waterfront property on Swans Island damaged by the January storms is now up for auction. The owners of Kent’s Wharf value the business and property to be worth $2.9 million, setting the minimum bid at $1.4 million. Beyond selling fuel and bait, Kent’s Wharf operates as a middleman for commercial fishermen — buying their lobster catch and selling to seafood retailers. Shelton said the wharf serves about half of the island's commercial fishermen. During the January storms, the high sea levels lifted one of the docks at Kent's Wharf off its pylons and onto its side. The wharf’s owners successfully applied for a $5,000 grant from the Island Institute and have since made the repairs.