Torngat Society

In 1979, Dave Getchell set out to acquire the perfect boat for a journey he was planning to the Torngat Mountains of Labrador. After scouring various catalogues, Getchell settled on an aluminum S-18 Lund skiff, which he retrieved from Columbus, Ohio, the nearest Lund warehouse, and set off on his two-week boating adventure among the icebergs and headlands of coastal Labrador. He named his new boat Torngat.

Years later, Torngat would be commissioned to scour the coast of Maine for appropriate sites to include on the fledgling Maine Island Trail. The rugged, agile Torngat proved the perfect skiff for maneuvering among and landing on rocky islets, and would soon serve as the primary vessel for conducting island stewardship work following the creation of MITA in 1988. As the Trail grew, additional skiffs were needed for island care and soon MITA owned a fleet of S-18s, many of which are still in use today.

Recognizing the seminal role of Torngat in the creation and stewardship of the Maine Island Trail, MITA has established the Torngat Society, comprised of supporters who have included MITA in their estate plans. All Torngat Society commitments will support MITA’s endowment, ensuring funding for its stewardship fleet into the future. In this way, the spirit of Torngat will protect the wild islands of Maine forever.

Listed here are the inaugural members of the Torngat Society. Together, their support will assure the well-being of Maine’s wild islands in perpetuity. MITA is profoundly honored and grateful for these deeply personal commitments to the Maine Island Trail and all those who cherish wild island adventures.

If you have made a planned gift supporting MITA, please let us know so we can recognize your commitment in the Torngat Society.

*Deceased