Our Story
Tweet, tweet Bob – “You wanna buy a lighthouse?” It is perfect for you.
I was immediately saddened by the fact this lighthouse sentinel was being abandoned by us really. That is not right and we have to do something and fast.
Once I got the tweet I rushed to read more, make 100 calls and applied for the federal bid. I called my credit card companies and checked by limit. Nope, not that one; nope certainly not that one; oh, great this one hasn’t been used to the top yet – charge it please. 10 grand gone. (how do I tell my wife this one!)
Oh yeah, set up some URLs and charge that too.
Team (Bob, Carey and Don), can we make this happen in 30 days? Can we us our developing concept to save a real piece of history, a National Historical Register place and a very remote hard to get to lighthouse right in the backyard of Portland Harbor?
We have all the parts already – let’s do it. Let’s see if the social network and a virtual community can band together and save a lighthouse – but they get to own unique rights and benefits to it.
And, they are the driving force to the effort. They share the experience of the process of bidding and building the membership – add subject matter expertise, help with history, share family stories, photos – it is their place of home on the lighthouse.
Make more rapid calls to Rich Brooks. Rich, you sitting down? Let me tell you our plan. Let’s give the average person a chance to follow a process and buy a lighthouse and they get unique rights and benefits. This social community helps assist with challenges and things we will need to do. Do you get it?
Okay – he gets it immediately. All I need from you is a fast go-no go. Can you help put up a site, tweeter and Facebook and do it in 7-10 day? “Yes” he says but wow there is just a lot of unknowns. But, Flyte New Media is in.
So the plan is Phase I – just get a basic site up so we can engage our community to make a difference. As this adventure unfolds we will figure things out. We have to win first and that depends on the crowd and social network. Let’s see if we can all deliver and deliver FAST.
Update – now we are doing it and doing it fast. Faster than we even thought. Closing bid date is now and rolls into another day if a new bid is placed. We don’t have 30 days; we are lucky if we even have 3 days now! Hang on and grab the Casco Bay Rip Tide Red beer tonight! It is now on internet speed.
Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse
During the auction, we have to get the equivalent of 8,000 to 10,000 people to buy a $49 dollar membership so we can win the bid and have cash to make immediate repair plans. We will continue to build the market plan.
Lighthouse ownership is not for the weak at heart nor for the non-handy man. Chores and repairs are doubly hard and complicated. Underwater extension cords – they can’t be cheap. Material selection not available at Home Deport or Lowe’s either. We have not seen an operation and maintenance model with this tower either.
We do know this. Not many people would try what we are trying. In addition to raising some very serious money, we have to put into effect a repair, maintenance, asbestos abatement plan and either fix or tear down the dock. And, we have to eventually rebuild many parts of the foundation, the blocks, repointing and the many leaks.
All of this requires $10s of millions of dollars over the new next life of the lighthouse.
This is also a working, fully operational lighthouse with a horn. We are doing all the base work for the government – they are outsourcing all their debt upkeep and utility bills – while they enjoy the place. What a deal, huh. It is a deal for you and me to have fun leverage high technology and get to experience the lighthouse. Let’s do it.
We have to fund and win the auction first. This is fast, furious, unknown and has no guarantees. For all we know some wealthy individual from away, like China or the middle east, will buy it. We hope you make Then we have to be creative, innovative and disciplined to put a game plan together that delivers.