Long Wharf Supply Co.September 26, 20211 Comment

An Adventurous Afternoon At Clapboard Island Estate

Long Wharf Supply Co.September 26, 20211 Comment

A short boat ride east of Maine’s coast awaits a private island escape that feels oceans away from civilization, but is just minutes from Portland. Set among 22 acres, Clapboard Island Estate seems like something dreamt up in a Hemingway novel starring a young Kennedy character. We recently visited with some family and friends for an afternoon of exploration and oysters.

We enlisted the help of our friends at Fogg’s Water Taxi to shuttle us out to the island although there is a helicopter landing area if that’s your preferred mode of transportation.

With 3200 feet of frontage on Casco Bay, Clapboard Island Estate is a nature lover’s paradise. The serenity of island life was felt the second we pulled up to the deepwater pier where both Osprey and Bald Eagles welcomed us within minutes of our arrival.

Built in 1898 by a railroad tycoon from Pennsylvania, the property itself has a rustic charm typically found at a local fish shack or maritime museum, but balances that air with an updated elegance spanning spacious east and west decks, the panoramic rooftop “widow’s walk”, all 13 bedrooms, 7.5 baths, and 13 fireplaces.

Overlooking some local oyster farms, the property has 6 swimming beaches, a zip line, antique gardens, volleyball/badminton as well as unending rocky outcrops and tidal pools set among acres of running trails. You could spend weeks at Clapboard Island Estate and still not discover all of its natural surroundings. There’s a never ending array of outdoor activities and the proprietors will provide access to additional amenities including fishing, wakeboarding or waterskiing, foiling, and sailing.

After an afternoon of exploration, oysters and a proper cocktail hour, we were headed back to the mainland already dreaming about another visit to Vacationland’s most exclusive private island escape.