It has been about a year since the van der Veen family of Philadelphia took over Carousel Marina and Whale’s Tale Pub after the retirement of former owner Jack Cogswell. Jax van der Veen, now 24, became manager of the marina, and her younger sister, Emma Rose, 20, focused on Whale’s Tale Pub. 

Jax emphasized her family’s commitment to maintaining the restaurant’s beloved seaside atmosphere and menu items while adding their own Philadelphia twist, such as offering Philly cheesesteak, pretzel bites and egg rolls. “It’s a large part of who we are and a large part of our story.”

However, the van der Veens are no strangers to the region. They haved lived seasonally on Linekin Bay for 20 years, and Jax has been year-round since COVID-19 put her classes at Georgetown University online. Last summer, she graduated with a degree in political science. She credits her experience managing a full college course load as a division one field hockey player with her ability to handle the busy day-to-day restaurant operations. 

“It takes a lot of time management and awareness, and sometimes you have to make sacrifices.” This includes being a team player while under stress, she explained, highlighting her staff’s dedication to being a cohesive unit. However, the biggest challenge has been her status as someone from away.

“It's really important to me and my family that we integrate ourselves (into the community) respectively and make a positive difference in what we’re doing,” she said. Efforts to make a difference have included chairing last year’s revival of the Boothbay Harbor Tuna Challenge, a 501c3 non-profit organization that benefits the Fishermen’s Memorial Fund. 

The challenge raised $30,000 toward maintaining the memorial honoring locals who lost their lives at sea, and to the scholarship fund for a graduating high schooler seeking a marine-related degree. The 75 competitors for this year’s challenge have already been secured, with a 2024 waiting list in the works. Carousel Marina is hosting the challenge Sept. 1-9.

Carousel Marina also hosted Boothbay Region Health Center’s “Hats for Health” fundraiser in March; Jax said the fundraisers, in addition to the restaurant’s year-round schedule, are just another way to show commitment to the community in the off-season. 

“The winters are my favorite part of living here because that’s how you make your connections and how you understand what Boothbay is at its core. Once you remove all the tourist aspects, it really comes down to supporting each other and supporting the local businesses that are here for the community.”

After last summer’s success, Jax is looking forward to another productive year with some new features. The restaurant will be offering non-ethanol fuel at the dock recently redone by Jax’s fiance, Evan Hepburn. 

But the biggest change is Carousel Marina's plan to open a market for boaters and east side shoppers to have easier access to grab-and-go items, including produce, deli items, alcohol, toiletries, cleaning products, etc. As an east side resident, Jax often struggles to get to the local supermarkets at the height of tourist season. The market is also dedicated to stocking Maine or New England-made products when possible. 

Carousel Marina, Whale’s Tale and the new market are open seven days a week through Oct. 1.