On June 15 at 7 p.m. Southport Town Hall, Captain Mark Colby will share details of the life of his seafaring family, from the time of the War of Independence, through the Civil War, the Old China Trade, to present day. The Colby family maritime history in the United States spans centuries. Area resident Captain Mark Colby has traced his family’s roots back to their arrival in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1630 aboard the Winthrop fleet.

Captain Colby spent his summers on Southport’s David Island, and, in the tradition of his family, charted his own maritime course.  Having enlisted in the Coast Guard, Colby’s experience at sea includes two years aboard the CGC Northwind out of Seattle, Washington, as well as voyages to the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica. 

He earned a master’s degree in education and, as a U.S. Merchant Marine Officer, Colby worked on the sea commercially for 39 years.  Closer to home, Captain Colby has worked the Boothbay Harbor waterfront since 1967, first with the Magnum Boat Lines. Colby has captained the Appledore V and whale watching charters on the Pink Lady II.  Colby ran the first reggae cruise aboard the Islander, and captained Balmy Day Cruises out to Monhegan Island.

Join the Friends of the Southport Historical Society on June 15, 7 p.m. at Southport Town Hall, 361 Hendricks Hill Road, as Captain Mark Colby shares details of his family’s remarkable history. From Newburyport, Massachusetts and Wiscasset, Maine, with voyages spanning the globe, Captain Colby will share tales of his family’s life at sea in the era of sails.