Anchored in Maine

WRITTEN BY ERINNE MAGEE

Before landing in Maine, Lisa Gant and Alex Pelling left the U.K. and traveled the globe by RV, visiting 65 countries in five years in search of a place to call home.

“Belfast had a vibe that we didn’t know we were looking for,” Gant said. “The area felt nostalgic to us despite never having been to Maine. We felt the opportunity and encouragement to follow any dreams we may have.”

The couple turned that feeling into something tangible — a portfolio of businesses that invites both visitors and locals to slow down, settle in, and experience Maine from the inside out.

Gant and Pelling’s sense of adventure is now embedded in the tour boat The Back and Forth, the couple’s on-the-water experience that has become a staple of Belfast’s harbor. Now entering its ninth season, the business continues to evolve in ways that feel both playful and intentional.

This year, guests can expect new offerings that expand on the company’s signature blend of connection and curiosity. A photography package allows visitors to capture the coastline from a different perspective, while an “Up and At ’Em Morning Cruise” invites locals and visitors alike to start their day surrounded by calm water and a quieter harbor. There’s even a sunset social, where guests can bring their own food and drinks aboard.

Other cruises returning this year include “Family Treasure Hunter” (guided by a pirate), a day cruise with lobster rolls, and a sunset cruise with lobster rolls. All rides on The Back and Forth have a capacity of six passengers.

Back on land, that same attention to creating a one-of-a-kind experience carries through Spofford Lodge, the couple’s thoughtfully designed boutique stay in Bucksport. Locals may have ties to the building, which served as a schoolhouse in the early 1900s and later as a Freemasons lodge in the 1960s.

Now, each suite reflects Gant’s background as an interior designer, with carefully curated details that lean into comfort without sacrificing style. Guests are greeted with spa-like bathrooms featuring soaking tubs and heated floors, plush bedding, and small luxuries such as robes and a “pillow library.” The goal is simple: to create a place where even locals feel transported.

“The suites are so relaxing that you immediately feel as though you are on vacation, even on your own doorstep,” Gant said.

Recent additions have only deepened that experience. The London Library, a self-serve, on-site shop, offers wine and snacks for a cozy night in, while EV chargers make it easy for guests to enjoy their stay with vehicles ready for their next destination.

While running a lodge, boat charters, and an interior design company keep Gant and Pelling busy, their community involvement doesn’t stop there. The couple’s knack for bringing people together is woven into The Three Somms, a wine-focused collective hosting a series of events in Bucksport and beyond. This season, gatherings are planned not only at Spofford Lodge but also at local venues such as the Alamo Theatre and other small businesses.

Reinforcing their commitment to the community, Gant and Pelling also run Small Biz Social, a networking group that brings together local businesses each month. The group meets at a different business each month so owners can showcase their spaces, services, and products.

“It has been a pleasure to meet so many business owners in the area and to see the connections grow between them,” Gant said. She added that she and her husband are still inspired by the same feeling that drew them to the area in the first place, with a goal of continuing to share that hospitality with visitors and neighbors alike.

For more information or to book an experience, visit spoffordlodge.com, thebackandforth.com, mcid.me, and thethreesomms.com.