On the morning of August 26, 2006 Wendy
Starkey and a contingent of volunteers departed the shores of Kittery,
Maine in search of Boon Island where she planned to begin her quest of
snorkeling the 9-mile distance to Nubble Light at York Beach – all to
help raise awareness and money for the 11 historic Maine lighthouses
under the
Photo courtesy of Wendy Starkey
Wendy Starkey entered the water just
off Boon Island at 10:15 as fog
obscures most of the lighthouse
care of the
nonprofit American Lighthouse Foundation.
Though the weather on shore was sunny and pleasant that morning, such was
not the case on the Atlantic as a thick fog hung heavy over the calm seas,
making it a slow and challenging endeavor for Wendy’s charter to reach the
desolate island site. The boat finally arrived off Boon Island Lighthouse at
around 10:00 am, with Wendy entering the chilly waters of the Atlantic
fifteen minutes later. The courageous woman then proceeded to set forth to
conquer the daunting aquatic divide that separated her from the rocky
shoreline at Nubble Light.
Ms. Starkey, a York resident and attorney with Erwin, Ott, Clark, Orso and
Campbell, had many thoughts racing through her mind as she departed Boon
Photo courtesy of Wendy Starkey
Wendy Starkey stops for a moment one
mile into her snorkel with 140 feet of
water below her
Island. When asked what her initial
thoughts were upon entering the water, Wendy started off by saying,
“Panic.” She went on to note, “I was excited, so I expected a little
extra nervousness, but the eeriness of the fogged-in island, the
inability to see land on the coast, the sudden vastness of the ocean and
the task ahead gave me a greater feeling of anxiousness than I expected.
We were about
an hour and 15
minutes later starting that I had planned and that concerned me. I did not
tell the crew until later about my feelings of panic.”
As if Wendy needed any more
drama added to an already difficult challenge, Town officials had closed
nearby York Beach earlier in the week following shark sightings in the
waters just off the sandy shoreline. This disconcerting situation, along
with the presence of fog that shrouded the seascape, remained firmly etched
in the back of Wendy’s mind as she slid beneath the waterline in the shadow
of the legendary Boon Island Lighthouse. As Wendy recalls, “They (her
charter) actually lost sight of me once in the fog and that worried them,
too. I asked them to stay closer to me, as I had sharks on my mind, and
whether it was valid or not, I had been told that the outboard motor would
scare them away.”
The murky atmosphere not only obscured Wendy’s sight of land, it also made
it extremely difficult for her to maintain any sense of direction. “My
inability to swim in the correct direction – because we
could not see land - was a big concern,” said Starkey. “I adjusted to
the water quickly and after a mile or so was relaxed enough to get a
rhythm going, but my corrections and adjustments were wasting time and
energy. The crew boat had to stay behind me because of the fumes. I
could not just follow it.”
Starkey went on to note, “The crew saw me flounder a bit,
so my son, Alex, got in his kayak and paddled out in front of me. After
that I just headed for him. It was much easier.He would move out 75 yards or so and I would swim to him. I felt
that I was making progress because there was some way for me to measure
it.
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Boon Island Lighthouse casts a
long shadow over the desolate
rocky ledge some 9 miles off
the coast of Maine
I did not have to
turn back and look for the boat and that helped me relax.”
Wendy’s inability to ascertain a sense of direction wasn’t the only
unexpected challenge to her quest. In fact, the concept of snorkeling the
9-mile distance from Boon Island to Nubble was suddenly ‘swallowed-up’ by
the unforgiving waters of the Atlantic Ocean just a few hours into the
effort. “I stopped after about 3 ½ hours for a drink of water and a snack,”
said Starkey, “and as I was floating in the water by the boat my snorkel and
mask fell off (it was up on top of my head) and I did not even notice. Once
I realized it was gone, I thought ‘I will never finish.’ But, I made another
adjustment and refused to let it defeat me. It was one of the reasons that I
took so much longer than expected.”
Wendy’s incredible mental toughness and unshakeable resolve kept her going
during the long hours in the water when land was obscured. Her ability
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Wendy Starkey and her crew
kept a watchful eye out for
Nubble Light from sea
to block out these distractions and setbacks – dilemmas
that might have made others give up the chase in a similar situation,
carried her through the discouraging segments of her quest. When land
finally came into sight though, Wendy’s spirits were buoyed. “I kept
telling the crew to tell me when they could see land. Once I saw the
Nubble I felt I was going to be okay. I was not as physically exhausted
as I anticipated.”
She went on to say, “David (her husband) got in the water
during the last two miles just to watch me a little closer, and talk me
through that final leg. He did that at just the right time. The misery
at the end was that
the novelty had
worn off – and I just had to finish. With everyone saying how amazing it was
to even attempt the snorkel, I could not face the concept of explaining that
I had not finished. It was my goal, and the weather and water cooperated. I
had to do my part.”
Wendy was also mindful of the historical significance of her effort, noting,
“The fact that no other woman has done it always seemed to be on my mind. I
am sure there are many other women capable of doing the exact same thing,
but no one has come forward to date - yet!”
After being in the water for over 8 long hours, Wendy reached the ocean side
of Nubble Light just after 6:30 pm. Those on shore to greet Wendy on her
much-anticipated arrival caught a glimpse of the charter and kayak
accompanying her through the rocky openings on Nubble as she passed by.
At this point, her family members, friends, local
well-wishers and American Lighthouse Foundation representatives affixed
their sights on the water as Wendy rounded the north side of Nubble and
pushed for shore. At 6:45 pm Wendy had completed her incredible quest,
much to the joy of all those who looked on with great pride for what one
determined and courageous woman
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Wendy Starkey pushes for shore on
the north side of Nubble Light
accomplished – all to help lighthouses.
Though completely exhausted, Wendy felt a tremendous satisfaction for having
completed her goal. “I thought myself privileged – and honored, to have all
the support and to have been able to finish what I set out to do,” said
Starkey. “I looked out at Boonin the
sunset, after seeing it get smaller as I swam away from it all day, and
tears welled up in my eyes. It was such a sense of accomplishment. I had
some worry that I might fail for a variety
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Stu Pennington and Ann-Marie Trapani
greet Wendy Starkey at water's edge
of reasons – a lack of conditioning, lack of planning, and weather or
water conditions. Coming in to people – family, friends and strangers
there cheering me on, was great! It was a perfect finish for me. I do
not think I will be able to top it, but I am trying to think of a way. I
look forward to telling the story of the event at some point later.”
All lighthouse
enthusiasts will appreciate Wendy’s final remarks about her efforts when she
later recounted the oddity of the circumstances her charter faced in simply
arriving at Boon Island Light for the start of her snorkel. Due to
malfunctioning aids to navigation equipment at Boon Island, the lighthouse
is temporarily extinguished. In what was a humorous observation in the
aftermath of her accomplishment, Wendy noted, “The irony of looking for a
nonfunctioning lighthouse in the fog (Boon Island) is not lost on me!”
Posted: 9/7/06
Wendy Starkey (center) waves to the
charter
that accompanied her throughout
her
successful effort
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Photo by Nina-Marie Trapani
(L to R) Wendy Starkey
with American Lighthouse Foundation representatives Sylvia Paneris,
Ann-Marie Trapani and Bob Trapani, Jr.
Wendy Starkey talks
with family and friends
in the aftermath of the historic event
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
"The irony of looking for a
nonfunctioning lighthouse in
the fog (Boon Island) is not
lost on me!"
-- Wendy Starkey
To make a donation in
honor of Wendy's efforts, you may call the
American Lighthouse Foundation at (207) 646-0245, use the PayPal button
below or use this printable sponsor form:
Sponsor Wendy's Snorkel Form
