We’re excited to share a project we’ve been working on with Mere Point Oyster Company: a custom-built nursery float measuring 20 x 20 feet. It’s the largest dock Springtide Marine has built to date, constructed from a combination of pressure-treated wood, aluminum, and steel.

A 20 by 20 foot wooden oyster nursery float under construction at a snowy boatyard overlooking coastal water, with a metal frame structure and workers in the background.

Final assembly of Springtide Marine’s largest dock to date, a 20 × 20 nursery float for Mere Point Oyster Company.

We spent time at Smith Boatyard on Mere Point this week putting the final pieces together and snapping a few photos. It was a clear spring day with blue skies, snow still on the ground, and the boatyard just beginning to turn the corner into the working season.

This float will serve as a nursery platform for growing oysters. It includes a custom aluminum davit, designed and fabricated by Bradley, which will be used to lift barrels on an adjoining float called an upweller. In an upweller system, seawater is pumped upward through the barrels, continuously delivering nutrients to young oysters and helping them grow quickly and stay healthy in their earliest stages.

Cameron Niven of Mere Point Oyster Company, Bradley Grillo, Dana Smith of Smith Boatyard, and Mike from Springtide Marine during final assembly on Mere Point.

The float also includes a frame for solar panels that will help power the nursery equipment. The overall system reflects Mere Point Oyster Company’s approach: practical, efficient, and closely tied to the surrounding marine environment.

Oysters play an important role in the local ecosystem, filtering up to 50 gallons of seawater per day and improving water clarity for other marine life. Systems like this support early-stage growth before oysters are moved out into the bay, and are part of a broader shift toward “blue food” in Maine - providing high-quality nutrition while using relatively few resources and supporting long-term marine health.

Close-up of a metal davit arm with an electric hoist and hook, mounted on an aluminum frame against a blue sky with trees in the background.

Custom aluminum davit and hoist fabricated by Bradley, designed to lift barrels for the upweller system.

This project reflects the kind of work we care about: collaborative, functional, and connected to Maine’s working waterfront. We’re proud to have played a role in building something that supports both a local business and the coastal environment.

And beyond the build itself, the end result is something worth experiencing. Mere Point oysters are clean and briny with a bright finish, shaped by the waters they come from. Bradley’s a big fan. I (Alexis) am still working on it.

Building a Custom Nursery Float for Mere Point Oyster Company