Additional Coverage:
- My parents bought an island in Maine. I spend my summers there, away from civilization and without running water. (businessinsider.com)
Island Life: One Man’s Sustainable Sanctuary Off the Coast of Maine
Scott Kern spends his summers living off the grid on Sand Island, a small island in Casco Bay, Maine. His parents acquired half-ownership of the island in the 1990s, and it’s become Kern’s personal haven. He calls it “Planet Sand.”
Kern’s summer days are dictated by the natural rhythms of the sun and tides. Sunset signals dinner and rest, while low tide allows him to work on a rock wall he’s constructing to combat erosion.
Life on Planet Sand is simple. Kern lives in a self-built structure he calls the Garden Shed Tree Fort, constructed from salvaged construction materials.
He powers a deep freezer with a gas generator and grills his meals. Trips to the mainland for supplies are infrequent, sometimes stretching as long as eight weeks, though three to five weeks is more typical.
He even collects his water, over 30 gallons at a time, from a café on a neighboring island.
While Kern admits island life isn’t a vacation – his days are filled with projects like reinforcing the shoreline and maintaining his equipment – it offers a unique kind of fulfillment. He documents his work on his YouTube channel, accompanied by a soundtrack of upbeat ’90s hits and classic tunes from the ’50s and ’60s.
For Kern, the island is more than just a summer retreat; it’s a place of healing. He credits his time on Sand Island with his sobriety, now approaching seven years.
The tranquility and natural beauty, he says, provide a much-needed escape from the pressures of the “real world” and offer a powerful boost to his mental well-being. The island, he says, is both “magic and medicine.”