The Keepers of Goat Island Light: Scott and Karen Dombrowski

By Shelley Wigglesworth

Goat Island Lighthouse was acquired by the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust in 1993, and not only serves an important and essential navigational role, but also as a central part of the Trust. Goat Island is open to the public seasonally.

“Our situation at the Trust with the lighthouse is unique. Few people do what we do as far as maintaining the lighthouse property and having it open to the public. I don’t think most people realize that aspect of the island, and all the work that is involved.  When they visit, people get more of a sense of what goes on,” said Tom Bradbury, Executive Director of the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust.

Scott and Karen Dombrowski have been living on Goat Island, serving as caretakers of the lighthouse and property from May through December for the past 28 years. They raised their two sons Greg and Eric on the island. The boys were five and seven years old at the time and are now 34 and 36.  The Dombrowski’s now welcome their grandson to the island where the Dombrowski family has spent a significant part of their lives.

Scott explained a bit of the work he does in his role as the keeper of Goat Island Light Station. “A lot of things are in the lighthouse that aren’t in regular houses. We need to know how to care for pumps, filters, and many other things to keep it all in working order. There are two 1000 gallon cisterns in the basement which are used to catch rainwater, the only source of water on the island. We maintain the lawns, the buildings and all the equipment on the island. The Coast Guard maintains the light and the fog signal which are now solarized.

Karen elaborated “The island is always in need of maintenance and upkeep. There is mowing, fixing, and painting to be done at any given time. With the only fresh water being rainwater caught in cisterns, it is a challenge when it comes to showers, doing dishes, etc. Because of this we go to the laundromat every week.  Grocery shopping is not as easy as jumping in the car and going to the grocery store. We have to take a skiff or kayak to the pier and go from there.” 

Goat Island Light is situated in the middle of some very tricky areas heading into Cape Porpoise harbor. There are dangerous inlets and entrances, hazardous ledges, and jagged rocks in numerous locations, which is a big reason the lighthouse and lighthouse keepers are needed. 

Bradbury explained “The New England coastline is without a doubt the most perilous in the world, and Cape Porpoise is no different. This harbor has a 400-year history of fishing and there always has been, and always will be a potential for danger at any time when you are out at sea. The fishermen know that, but knowing that doesn’t guarantee their safety or anyone’s safety for that matter. Some people can and do take it for granted. They see the peaceful and picturesque harbor and they don’t always realize that on the ocean, anything can change into a dangerous situation at any time. The Old Prince Ledge area is unforgiving, that is one of the reasons why the lighthouse was originally built in 1835.” 

Dombrowski agreed and continued “The Old Prince Ledge is a big ledge right outside of the lighthouse itself and that alone is extremely dangerous. One day I was giving a tour to a group of people and a man came crawling up over the rocks soaked. He kept saying ‘I lost my friend; I lost my friend’ over and over. It turns out, he had been kayaking near Folly Island and his friend was right behind him. When he looked back a few moments later his friend was gone because of a thick that fog came in. That’s how it always happens on the ocean. One moment you’re safe, one moment you’re not. We have saved lives almost every year I have been on the island, it is something that is expected, and comes with the territory.”

In the scenario with the kayaker, Scott did locate and rescue the man’s missing friend, though not all situations have a positive outcome. In 2002, Dick Curtis, who was working on the island alongside Dombrowski was killed at sea, presumably by a rogue wave that capsized his boat. “The area where Dick went down is very rough - it looks like a washing machine agitating when you are in it,” Scott said, shaking his head. “Safety was Dick’s top priority. He was an experienced mariner and one of the best mariner’s I knew. He was the last guy in the world I’d expect to see lose his life out there.”

Though the Dombrowski’s are prepared for and have seen their share of danger on the island over the past few decades, they have also experienced the full spectrum of emotions. Scott shared a poignant moment he shared with the father of a young man who was lost at sea in the Goat Island area at Christmastime one year.

“We had the lost boy’s parents staying with us while the search was going on. We cooked for them and comforted them while waiting. When the boy’s clothing was located, we knew it wasn’t good. The boy’s father was very distraught and asked me to take him out to where his son’s clothing was found, so I did. We went out in my boat to the location on Christmas day - it was a small rocky island area where the clothing was found. I stopped there, and the man got out, walked over, and grabbed a big stick. He stood there for a while and hugged it tight, then threw it out into the ocean. When he got back on the boat, the two of us just embraced and sobbed together. Our ride back was completely silent, and then a light snow started falling- it was almost a haunting experience-it was very surreal, and it is something I will never forget.”

When it comes to raising a family on the island as caretakers, the Dombrowski’s said their children learned responsibility and work ethic at a very young age.  “They knew that if they were told something that had to do with their safety on the island, it was not to be questioned, and it never was.  Because of this, they were allowed to do a lot of things their peers probably weren't allowed to do. For example, they were allowed to go fishing in the harbor at a young age by themselves. I had a whistle that I would blow, and they would come back to the island, no questions asked.  This was way before cell phones,” Karen said.   She added “Our older son Greg was a stern man for Yogi Nunan for 9 or 10 years starting at age 12 and had 50 of his own traps along with a boat and motor he bought himself at age 13. Our younger son Eric bought his own kayak with lawn mowing money at age 13.  I'd like to think that the privileges they were given at a young age led to their being amazing productive adults.”  

Despite the work, responsibility, danger, and peril involved in an island lighthouse keeper’s occupation, there is something else far more powerful and good that keeps the Dombrowski’s optimistic, passionate, dedicated and still loving what they do for almost three decades. There is indescribable beauty, joy, and peace, and a connection to nature and humanity in its most simple form that only those living on an island lighthouse could begin to thoroughly understand.

“The sunsets, the sunrises, the power of nature, the wildlife, the fishermen coming in with a wave, the many happy visitors, the dedicated volunteers, the sights, sounds, smells and beauty-it just envelopes you. Everyone is just in awe of the beauty of this island and everything around it. People tell us all the time that this is probably the most beautiful place in the world, and we agree.”