BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 14, 2025
Floating camps are a growing problem, according to those who steward the state’s waters for the people of Maine. LD 1763 defines floating camps as “nonwater-dependent structures,” and includes specific definitions for house boats, motor boats, docks and other entities found on or around Maine’s waters. There are exceptions for water toys, ice fishing shacks and a handful of similar structures, but there is no specific allowance for businesses contained in or that use floating buildings. One such business is DeMillo’s on the Water, a floating restaurant that is moored at a Portland marina. It’s a dilemma that could stall the legislation and force it into the next session, allowing even more of these to pop up on Maine’s water landscape.