The Coast Guard abandoned the remote Casco Bay lighthouse in 1975. Ford Reiche bought it for $283,000 at auction in 2014 in a record sale price for a Maine lighthouse.

The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/29vW57O ) reported Reiche has spent the last year trying to refurbish the lighthouse, where access is difficult and sometimes impossible.

Reiche bought a 25-foot Defender-class boat at a Coast Guard auction so he can make the 10-mile trip from Freeport to the lighthouse. The lighthouse dates to 1871 and is located on a tiny rock ledge.

Reiche co-founded and later sold a transportation logistics company. He is also a trustee of Maine Preservation and has restored historic homes.