Despite facing countless hours of work, the Camden entrepreneur is consumed by this vision thing. Welcome to Beggar's Wharf, the newest addition to Rockland's waterfront.

"The idea just leapt into my head," Weidman said with a laugh. "It sprang full grown from the mind of Charles."

Charlie Weidman has grand plans for his family's new property, the original home of the Rockland Boat Co.

It began with Weidman's search for a place to base his business, Charlie's Mooring and Dive Services. After convincing his brother and mother to come aboard, Weidman managed to secure $295,000 in financing and purchased the old Rockland Boat Co. property on Wharf Place.

The hulking three-story structure is located on a half-acre waterfront property that includes three other buildings. More importantly, it features 100 feet of harbor frontage and has distinctive views of the Rockland breakwater.

Ideas race through Weidman's head quicker than a schooner with a full sail. He envisions a restaurant and maybe some type of bar with a view of the breakwater.

He's had a call from someone who's interested in leasing space for a restaurant. Someone else has inquired about locating a museum there. Weidman, 34, recognizes these possibilities as long-term solutions.

The dream can wait for now. What Beggar's Wharf needs is short-term revenue to meet the new mortgage payment. It's something that his business partner and older brother, Bill, occasionally drums into his little brother's head. Bill lives in Concord, Mass., where he works for Concord Communications as a performance lab director.

"He's the bean counter," Weidman said. "We really complement each other well on this project."

The short-term approach for Beggar's Wharf is fairly well set. Weidman plans to overhaul the existing dock and extend it possibly 130 feet despite its position, sandwiched between FMC Biopolymer and O'Hara's Corp.

The second floor of the old Rockland Boat Co. is destined for a renovation.

He plans to install rental moorings in the harbor, providing another key source of revenue. There's also the fledgling dinghy service.

"It could be for someone who owns a boat and wants a mooring for the day," he said of Beggar's Wharf. "Maybe even local residents who just want a mooring or boat owners from Boston who just come up for the weekend."

Weidman and his family acquired the property in January. It had been for sale by Weidman's employer, the Rockland Boat Co., for some time. Weidman explains that he got a "wild hair" and convinced his wife, mother and brother to assume new mortgages.

"In one week's time, I went from being a bystander to a buyer," Weidman said.

There's no question that Weidman has close personal ties to the seller, the Gronros family. Weidman grew up in Miami but spent summers at his family's camp in South Hope. He struck up a friendship with his summertime neighbor, Leni Gronros. Each one has served as the other's best man on their respective wedding days.

In addition to running his own business, Weidman started the dive department at Rockland Boat. He plans to leave the company in April and concentrate on his new project.

"It just sprang full grown from the mind of Charles," is how Weidman describes his idea for Beggar's Wharf. (Photos by Al Slavin)

"Charlie's a great planner," Gronros said. "He's a very driven guy. I know what he plans to do, and I think it's perfect for down there."

For Gronros, selling the property came with a huge emotional price tag that had nothing to do with his best friend. His grandfather, Axel Gronros, a Finnish immigrant, established Rockland Boat Co. on the spot with Leni's father, Sulo.

The year was 1953. The company flourished on Wharf Street, repairing lobster boats in the cavernous first floor built to hold two 60-foot hulls.

Seven years ago, the Gronros family moved the operation to Park Drive. The building was used for storage over the years.

Leni said after his father died in 1998, the family decided to sell the original property and settle up the estate. He and his brother, Teke, and sister, Beth, still run the family business few hundred yards away.

But this was the same shop where Leni and his siblings played as children, rummaging through sawdust, as his mentors plied their trade. His grandparents lived in a neighboring house, which still sits on the property.

"It holds a lot of sentimental value," Gronros said. "I was down there cleaning it out, and it really has a very profound effect on me. I hate to see it go. I'm just glad it's not going to be torn down."

But Gronros finds solace in having such close ties to the new owners. He doesn't expect to be much of a stranger.

"The fact that Charlie's down there means I still get to stay there," Gronros said. "I still have a place to launch my canoe."

Related Links:

Rockland Boat

Based in Rockland, Al Slavin can be reached at 594-5351 or by email at mailto:aslavin@k2Bh.com

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