Isaac Beal sitting on the house roof of CHRISTOPHER at Searsport.
BEALS – Isaac Kenneth Beal, 84, passed away in his home while surrounded by his loving family on Thursday, January 8, 2026. He was born May 30, 1941, on Beals Island, Maine, to the late Mariner “Lovey” and Abegail Augusta “Gusty” (Wallace). Isaac married his true love and best friend, Eva Belle, on February 18, 1959, and they had five children.
Isaac was a devoted husband and father who worked tirelessly to provide for his large family. He started lobster fishing at the age of 13 and retired at the age of 79. He went lobster fishing out of Pigeon Hill from 1961 to 1973 before returning to fish out of Beals Island. He started working in his father’s shop building wooden lobster boats at a young age and personally built rowboats or outboard boats simultaneously during the winter and spring months until 1979. These boats were seen in harbors throughout New England, and some are still around today.
Together they built the 28-foot lobster boat CHRISTOPHER for his father in 1976. After his father passed away in 1981, Isaac acquired the boat for lobster fishing and raced her a couple of times in the 1990s. He said, “I think she was 16 years old the first time I went. The Guptil boys took out an Oldsmobile engine and left it over at Richard Alley’s shop. They had it for sale and wanted $250 for it. I said, ‘Now is my chance to find out what I think and try it.” I got the engine on the wharf, but her lifters were stuck. Finally, a couple of boys, sort of mechanics, tinkered with it and they got her lifters cleared. We got it into the boat and ran her a little. I was right along with the LITTLE GIRL until the engine started tightening up and then it blew up. That was worth the $250 just to know.” For seven years Isaac dominated Gasoline Class C, the Wooden Boat Race and at times the Free-for-Alls. Isaac successfully raced CHRISTOPHER in the Maine Lobster Boat Racing circuit for several years with 85 wins when powered with the 502 Chevy. He and Eva spent summers traveling with the boat to attend the races and made many friends along the way. She was retired from racing in 2005 and after a few years lobstering, she was placed out back with the hope of having some much-needed repairs done. Unfortunately, life got in the way for Isaac, and she sat there under a tarp waiting. In April 2024, Alonzo Alley, yard manager at Jonesport Shipyard, was helping Isaac’s son Christopher move some moorings around his yard with a telehandler. He knew that Isaac would love to see his boat racing again and with the telehandler he hooked on to her trailer and dragged her out. She was then taken over to Jonesport Shipyard and placed in Bert Frost’s old shop and the repairs began. Unfortunately, the yard got busy and Isaac just could not do some of the work that needed to be done. The hope of having her ready for the 2025 slipped by. CHRISTOPHER was donated to the International Maritime Library, and she will be finished and go racing again.
In March of 2025 Isaac was honored by being inducted into the Maine Boatbuilder’s Hall of Fame. The final year of his life he started building wooden half hulls for his family and friends to cherish.
He fondly remembered spending his childhood summers with his two uncles on their herring seiner. He eventually owned his own boat and seined for herring with his two eldest sons for several years. Over the years he earned a living clamming, worming, and harvesting periwinkles. He and Eva ran their own seafood company, Old Salt Seafood, where he and his sons dragged for mussels, scallops, quahogs, and urchins. In the early 1990s he started raising Atlantic salmon for Nordic Enterprises. In 2000 he started a boat mooring business, Ike’s Mooring Service, to service the surrounding fishing community. He had many jobs but always said that building boats and seining for herring were his favorite ones.
Isaac became involved with the Boy Scouts as a troop leader while his sons were in school and loved to share scouting stories.
He was a member of the Beals Island Harbor Committee and was instrumental in acquiring the property and the development of the Beals Town Landing. He served his community as Assistant Harbor Master and Harbor Master for many years.
Isaac was an avid and successful deer hunter all of his life and shared many fond memories of hunting on Great Wass Island and at their camp on Head Harbor Island. The largest deer he ever bagged was 240 pounds and he bagged his final deer in 2025. He skillfully bagged to deer yearly except in 1960 when he had to work away from home in Belfast at the chicken factory, because there was no work at home.
Isaac will be fondly remembered for his devotion to family, boatbuilding, work ethic, honesty, and sense of humor. He often quoted “Five dollars is five dollars. At least you have something.”
In addition to his parents, Isaac was predeceased by his beloved wife and best friend, Eva, sister Gracie Beal Emerson; brother, Spencer Beal; grandson, Jacob Isaac Beal; sister-in-law, Nina Logsden; brother-in-law Earland “Lester;” brother-in-law, Dick Alley; nephews, Galen Alley, Gerald Beal, Earland Beal, and Rollins Logsden.
He is survived by his three sons, Wyatt (Lorena) Beal, Timothy (Tracy) Beal, Christopher (Brigitte) Beal; daughters, Heidi Beal, (Rich Gates), Kelley (Scott) Allen, grandchildren: Megan (Ryan) Daley, Mariner (Vanessa) Beal, Desiree (Troy) Stanwood, Brooke (Nicholas) Raye, Audrey Beal (Bobby Arteaga), Abbey (Trent) Stevens, Alexa Allen, and Daniel Beal; great-grandchildren: Weston Beal, Hunter Beal, Carson Beal, Hannah Grover, Kade Daley, Asa Daley, Troy “Tas” Stanwood, Connor Stanwood, Ezekiel Stanwood, Everett Stanwood, Renezmae Crossman, Billie Kate Raye, and Bishop Raye; sister-in-law, Lorna Alley; sister-in-law, Maria Beal; a special friend, caregiver and companion Marcia McDavid; many nieces and nephews, cousins and many close friends.
CHRISTOPHER
Boatbuilder: Mariner and Isaac Beal, Beals Island, ME (1976)
Dimensions: 28′
Construction: Wood
Engine(s): Gasoline, 502 cid Chevrolet
Owner(s): Isaac Beal, Beals Island, ME
Year’s Raced: 1999; 2000; 2001; 2002; 2003; 2004; 2005
Racing Class: Gasoline Class C
Results:
1999: SEARSPORT: 1st Gas Class C (39 mph) and 1st Wooden Boat Race (38.4 mph). WINTER HARBOR: 1st Gas Class C (38.2 mph).
2000: MOOSABEC: 1st Wooden Boat Race and 1st Gas Class C. SEARSPORT: 1st Gas Class C (37.4 mph) and 1st Wooden Boat Race (35.4 mph). STONINGTON: 1st Gas Class C (37.1 mph) and 1st Wooden Boat Race (38 mph). WINTER HARBOR: 1st Gas Class C (37.9 mph) and 3rd Gasoline Free-for-All.
2001: BOOTHBAY: 1st Gas Class C (32 mph). FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gas Class C (39 mph), 1st Wooden Boat Race 226 hp and over (38 mph) and 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (39 mph). HARPSWELL: 1st Wooden Boat Race (36.1 mph), Gas Class C (37.3 mph). MOOSABEC: 1st Wooden Boat Race (38.5 mph) and 1st Gas Class C (34.2 mph). SEARSPORT: 1st Gas Class C. STONINGTON: 1st Gas Class C (38.6 mph) and 1st Wooden Boat Race (38.5 mph). WINTER HARBOR: 1st Gas Class C.
2002: BOOTHBAY: DNS Gas Class C. FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gas Class C (37 mph) and Wooden Boat Race (37 mph). HARPSWELL: 1st Wooden Boat Race and 1st Gas Class C. MOOSABEC: 1st Wooden Boat Race, 1st Gas Class C and 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. SEARSPORT: 3rd Gas Class C and 2nd Wooden Boat Race. STONINGTON: 1st Gas Class C (38.6 mph) and 1st Wooden Boat Race. WINTER HARBOR: 1st Gas Class C and 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All.
2003: MOOSABEC: 1st Woodenboat Race, 1st Gasoline Class C and 1st Gasoline Free-for-All. STONINGTON: 1st Gas Class C (38 mph) and 1st Wooden Boat Race (37.8 mph). FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gas Class C (37 mph), 1st Wooden Boat Race (37 mph) and 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (37 mph). HARPSWELL: 1st Wooden Boat Race and 1st Gas Class C. PEMAQUID: 1st Gas 400 cid and over, 24 feet and over. 1st Heat 1 (28 mph) and 1st Final Heat Wooden Boat Race (31 mph). 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (33 mph). SEARSPORT: 1st Gas Class C (33.8 mph). 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (36.9 mph). 1st Wooden Boat Race (36.9 mph). WINTER HARBOR: 1st Gas Class C (38 mph). 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All.
2004: BOOTHBAY: 1st Gasoline Class C; 1st Gasoline Free-for-All, 37.2 mph. FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gasoline Class C, 38 mph; 1st Gasoline Free-for-All, 38 mph. HARPSWELL: 1st Woodenboat Race; 1st Gasoline Class C; 1st Gasoline Free-for-All. MOOSABEC: 1st Wooden Boat Race; 1st Gasoline Class C; 1st Gasoline Free-for-All. SEARSPORT: 1st Gasoline Class C, 37.2 mph; 1st Gasoline Free-for-All; 1st Wooden Boat Race, 37.5 mph. STONINGTON: 1st Gasoline Class C, 40.7 mph; 2nd Boatbuilder’s Exhibition Class; 1st Gasoline Free-for-All, 40.1 mph; 1st Wooden Boat Race. WINTER HARBOR: 1st Gasoline Class C; 1st Gasoline Free-for-All.
2005: FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gasoline Class C (37 mph). 1st Woodenboat Race (37 mph). 1st Gasoline Free-for-All. HARPSWELL: 1st Wooden Boat Race. 1st Gasoline Class C. 1st Gasoline Free-for-All. MOOSABEC: 1st Wooden Boat Race. 1st Gasoline Class C. PEMAQUID: 1st Gas Any Cu. In. and under, 24 feet and over (38.5 mph).1st Wooden Boats, Diesel or Gas, 24 feet and over (37.1 mph). 1st Gas Free-for-All (37.8 mph). SEARSPORT: 1st Gasoline Class C (36.7 mph). 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (33.2 mph). 1st Wooden Boat Race (32.7 mph). STONINGTON: 1st Gasoline Class C (35.3 mph). 3rd Boatbuilder’s Exhibition Class. 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (34.8 mph). 1st Wooden Boat Race. WINTER HARBOR: 1st Gasoline Class C. 1st Gasoline Free-for-All. 1st Wooden Boat Race.
Mariner ‘Lovie’ Beal-Boatbuilder
Brenda Dodge
The late Mariner R. Beal of Beals was a third generation boatbuilder who was known throughout his life as ‘Lovie’ to his family, friends, and customers. Beal’s son Isaac, also a boatbuilder, remembers that his father was always called ‘Lovie.’
‘Dad’s given name was Leeman Roscoe Mariner Beal,’ said Isaac, ‘but he didn’t like it and decided to change it to Mariner R. Beal.’ However, the nickname ‘Lovie,’ given to him when he was young, was the name he went by throughout his life. ‘If you wrote about him as Mariner R. Beal, the boatbuilder, instead of ‘Lovie,’ Isaac said with a smile, ‘a lot of people might not know who he was.’
‘Lovie’ Beal was born at Beals, to Charles Roscoe and Calista Beal in 1908 and was one of 11 children. Born into a family of boatbuilders, his roots were firmly anchored in the boatbuilding traditions of the island community of Beals. His father, Charles Roscoe, was a boatbuilder as were both of his grandfathers, the brothers, Jeremiah and Captain John A. Beal. Free-man and Joseph, both brothers to John and Jeremiah, were also boatbuilders.
Isaac has receipts from the O. Sheldon Co. of South Boston, Massachusetts dating back to 1898 for Reach Boats built by the Beal brothers. The lapstrake rowboats ranging in size from 11 to 15 feet were delivered to Boston on the schooner Emma Chase sailing out of Jonesport and captained by Isaac Beal’s great-grandfather, John A. Beal. The Beal brothers were paid $1.50 per foot for the Reach Boats which were up to 13 feet in length, and an extra 25 cents per foot for those 14 and 15 feet in length.
‘An interesting fact about the boats,’ said Isaac, ‘was the tree roots which were used in their construction.’ Remembering stories handed down from his father and grandfather, Isaac said the boatbuilders would go into the woods and look for trees having roots that resembled the shape of the knees, stern and stem posts of the boat. From the roots these and other needed parts could be cut.
‘One of the boats is at the Maine Mari-time Museum in Bath,’ said Isaac. Built by Freeman Beal, it was obtained by the museum as an example of this early type of construction.
‘Lovie’ spent many hours in his father’s boat shop as a child, and it was inevitable that he, too, would enter into the boatbuilding trade. He worked on and off during the construction of at least six boats at the Harold Gower Boat Shop in Barney Cove at Beals from August of 1939 through April of 1943. Records kept by Mrs. Gower show the dates of his employment and which boats he worked on. ‘Dad would ride a bicycle over from the Back Field at Alley’s Bay to work at Harold’s shop,’ said Isaac. ‘It was two miles each way.’
Isaac remembers that his father worked for a while on sardine carriers and also for a time during World War II as head of a carpentry crew in a Portland shipyard. At one time ‘Lovie’ and his brothers Alvin, Vinal and Floyd were all working together building boats.
Eventually ‘Lovie’ established himself in the same shop that his father had built boats in. Isaac has an old photograph showing his grandfather’s house, shop, and barn. ‘See those trees, he says indicating some small trees near the front door of the shop. Because of them Dad tore the shop down and relocated it to the other side of the barn. Those trees became so large over the years that boats couldn’t be taken out of the shop around them. So rather than cut them down, Dad relocated the shop.’ The remains of the old shop still stand today.
Isaac joined his father in the boatbuilding business in 1960. ‘I worked with Dad for 19 years,’ he said. But by 1979 failing health caused his father to spend fewer and fewer days on boat construction. ‘He would try to come into the shop for my sake even though he didn’t need to,’ Isaac remembers.
‘Boatbuilding was a winter business with us,’ Isaac said. ‘We worked on boats from November to June and then went seining and lobster fishing. We built two large boats and at least one outboard boat every winter.’
‘The first new boat that Dad built for himself was the 25-foot Gracie Isaac,’ said Isaac. The last boat that ‘Lovie’ built for himself was the 28-foot Christopher named for one of Isaac’s sons. ‘I still have her,’ Isaac says proudly and is currently getting her ready for his son Timmy to use for lobster fishing.
‘Dad built from his own designs and all of Dad’s boats had wooden hulls,’ Isaac said. ‘He couldn’t stand fiberglass so in later years when customers would want some glassing done around the cabin and decks of the boats, I did it.’
Isaac remembers that most of the boats that his father built went to out-of-state customers. ‘A lot of our boats went to Massachusetts to places like Cohasset, Scituate, Rockport, and Marblehead. We built mostly lobster boats and a few pleasure boats. Two of the pleasure boats went to Marblehead and were named Mariner for Dad,’ Isaac said.
‘I remember Dad telling stories of the early days of boatbuilding,’ Isaac went on. ‘Before the car ferry was built in 1952 lumber had to be tied together and towed across the reach to Beals. Then it had to be hauled up the beaches and embankments to the shops. It was a lot of work and some of the lumber, especially pieces to be used in the keels, was pretty heavy. And in the days before electricity came to the island, everything had to be sawed by hand.’
The opening of the bridge in 1958 connecting Beals to the mainland at Jonesport made obtaining boatbuilding supplies much easier for all of the island’s builders.
Isaac remembers when outboard motors became available that his father got a lot of orders for outboard boats. ‘The reach was full of Dad’s outboard boats,’ he said. ‘Clinton Crowley of Jonesport has one of Dad’s first outboard boats. It must be at least 40 years old.’
It is Isaac’s guess that ‘Lovie’ built close to 100 powerboats, outboards, and rowboats during his career. He also loved making small sailboats, lobster boats and skiffs for his nephews, grandchildren, and other children around the island. At one time he made the small skiffs to sell. Isaac and his wife Eva have one of the skiffs that ‘Lovie’ made for their children to play with.
Dad was always working with wood Isaac recalls and points out a magazine rack in the shape of a clam roller that his father made. ‘That’s the first one Dad made,’ Isaac says. It was made of wood salvaged from a piano when the old Beals Elementary School was torn down. Isaac also has two of the playboats, a lobster boat and a herring seiner, that ‘Lovie’ made and there is pride in his voice as he speaks of his father’s craftsmanship.
Two of ‘Lovie’s’ half-models hang on the wall in Isaac and Eva’s living room. ‘The last one he made was the model for a 30 by 10-foot boat, but he didn’t get to build it,’ Isaac says.
‘Lovie’ died in 1981, but his memory lives on through his work and in the minds of all who knew and loved him. ‘Lovie’ liked to play jokes on people, Eva says with a smile recalling the time when he nailed an insurance salesman’s record book to the boat shop workbench. And there was another time when he locked that same salesman in the outhouse while he went to lunch. His jokes and pranks were endless and are well recalled by those they were played on and those who enjoyed hearing the stories about them.
‘Lovie’ built this last boat around 1979. It was a pleasure boat built for Burton Preble of Narragansett, Rhode Island. Isaac’s face breaks into a smile as he remembers that boat. ‘She was a beautiful boat and Mr. Preble named her the Lovie Beal. It was a fitting tribute to a man who spent so much of his life working with wood.”
