Anyone else have the most recent Practical Sailor?
Good for a laugh.... page 3.
I wasn't aware that satire was part of PS' mission.
Lobster Pot Menace
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Tim
- Shipwright Extraordinaire
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Lobster fishing is one of Maine's largest industries; I refrain from saying the largest only because I don't know how the dollars stack up versus tourism, but I suspect lobsters win, with over 63,000,000 pounds caught last year. As a result, any discussion involving lobster is incredibly complex, with several sides to each issue. It is also a hot-button topic, regardless of which side one might take.
Referring directly to the article at hand, I suspect that the boat in question probably was set sideways onto a pot or toggle buoy while in the channel. Sideways set is the most dangerous situation in terms of pots; one can look ahead and think the way is clear, but factor in 1-2 knots of cross current and suddenly one of those buoys ends up directly beneath the counter, where it is in danger of being sucked into the prop.
Casco Passage, where the author says he was, is indeed infested with thousands of pots, thanks to the heavy currents, steeply-bounding granite ledges, and other factors. If, as the author suggests, pots were restricted within 100 yards of all navigation aids, there would not be a pot buoy to be seen in this channel, nor in neighboring York Narrows.
My personal position is that the current lobster fishery boom, which has resulted in the placement of more traps than ever, is in danger of overfishing a valuable resource, and that the overall number of traps should be reduced. In my opinion, this would not only help extend the fishery, but would also significantly impact (in a positive way) the hazard of pot buoys in navigable waters.
Despite that feeling, I heartily support the lobster industry, and am a fan of lobstermen in general. In no way do I support any sort of restriction on the placement of lobster traps when it is clear that these very restrictions would effectively limit the lobstermen's' ability to harvest. The fact that too many traps are being set now, in my opinion, is a separate issue that I feel should be addressed and, if successfully addressed, would have a desirable effect on the numbers of pots clogging the channels. Thanks to the recent boom in the industry, larger lobster boats setting more traps are increasingly common, and it is this fact, I believe, that has led to the admittedly dense population of lobster pots in most areas. I think that lowered trap limits would go a long way, without unduly restricting any fisherman's ability to make a living at his chosen (or born) task.
Here are some general observations and some of the issues at hand as I see them, all of which factor in to the overall picture somehow. Everyone is entitled to form their own opinion on what is right or not, but looking at the issue one-sided is unhealthy for all.
1. Lobster pots are placed where they are because that's where the lobsters are. Unfortunately, lobsters favor living in places where the bottom geography changes radically--that is, near and around ledges and similar underwater features. They also like areas containing current. In Maine, most navigable areas are bounded, often closely, by rocky ledges. This is also where the lobsters are. There's a reason why you see fewer traps in deep water with flat bottom beneath: the lobsters are not there. To restrict the placement of traps as the author suggests would effectively eliminate the vitality of the industry. Realistically, of course, this will never happen.
2. Yes, some lobstermen are total jerks, and probably do things with malicious intent towards pleasure boaters. It would be silly to try and deny this when it's clearly true in a few cases. Mostly, it's not really like this.
3. A lot more pleasure boaters are jerks than lobstermen, in my experience. Some people deserve what they get, to be blunt. And I've seen some unpleasant lobstermen, so that's saying something.
4. Most lobstermen are salt of the earth, hard-working people trying to make a living in a very difficult business. All fisheries are challenging, to say the least.
5. Pleasure boaters certainly have as much of a right to use the waters as do fishermen. There's no question that both need to exist in harmony somehow. That said, it may be helpful to remember that pleasure boaters choose to be out there, while fishermen must be out there in order to make a living. Courtesy and respect towards a hard-working individual is generally well received, and a perpetuation of this attitude would go a long way towards dissolving the current discord that exists.
6. Steering amongst lobster pots in a current-ridden channel is extremely challenging at times, and requires constant vigilance. In short: pay attention! Autopilots do not apply here, frankly, and I think inattention and an overreliance on automation are to blame for many peoples' problems. I have yet to see an channel that cannot be successfully navigated through the pots, though sometimes from a distance I wonder how I'll make it through. Sometimes it takes significant course changes. It's a pain, but it's part of navigating in Maine.
7. Sure, I wish there were no lobster pots out there. They're incredibly frustrating at times. That doesn't mean that their placement should be restricted on my behalf. I'll adjust.
8. Why can't anyone who gets caught, whether through pure bad luck or through a wrong decision or inattention, ever take some of the responsibility on themselves? They're always the victims. At least share the blame, people. On the water more than anywhere else, only the skipper is responsible for what happens to his own boat in the end.
9. If you get in trouble in your boat on the coast of Maine, lobstermen will almost certainly be ready, willing, and available to help immediately. There are countless stories to this effect.
10. Silly rules and legislation would be the last thing that would do any good. Are lobster pots an impediment to navigation? Sure they are, but so are islands, fog, wind, sun, and other pleasure boats. In a society where people seem to take no personal responsibility for anything whatsoever, it's completely unsurprising that a poor, maligned pleasure boater would be, of course, fault-free in a situation like this, so somebody else must be held responsible, therefore.
11. Lobster traps should probably be restricted in many permanent harbors, but not necessarily the channels leading to those harbors.
12. No, it's absolutely no joke when one gets caught on a pot warp, particularly on the prop shaft. But I don't think that this occurrence is inevitable. There are always extenuating circumstances, somehow. We just don't always know what they are.
13. Lobsters are Maine and Maine is lobsters. To enjoy the bountiful cruising and sailing here, one must be prepared to accept the existing situation.
14. Toggles are miserable, and I hate them: but they are a fact of life in downeast Maine where large tides (and resulting currents) require their use lest the pot buoys be sucked beneath the surface (where, incidentally, they would be even more of a potential hazard and completely invisible). Toggles and the slack lines leading to the actual colored pot buoys are easy to avoid as long as one takes into account the direction of the wind or current, which always sets the pot buoy downstream of the toggle. It is sometimes a real challenge to sail or motor around all of them, but it is always possible.
15. I'll repeat again that I think that a lowered trap limit--that is, the number of traps that can be set for each lobster license--is probably called for, not only to preserve the fishery long-term (which is good for everyone here), but also to effectively reduce the number of pot buoys placed in every location. It didn't used to be as bad as it is now, back when people went lobstering to make a living, not to make an absolute killing as big business. I agree that there are too many pots out there, but feel that the solution is not as radical as those penned by many frightened and angry boaters who have had bad experiences in recent years.
16. I sure don't know it all. The above is my (hopefully informed) opinion, and alternate or supporting opinions based on sound information are welcome.
Referring directly to the article at hand, I suspect that the boat in question probably was set sideways onto a pot or toggle buoy while in the channel. Sideways set is the most dangerous situation in terms of pots; one can look ahead and think the way is clear, but factor in 1-2 knots of cross current and suddenly one of those buoys ends up directly beneath the counter, where it is in danger of being sucked into the prop.
Casco Passage, where the author says he was, is indeed infested with thousands of pots, thanks to the heavy currents, steeply-bounding granite ledges, and other factors. If, as the author suggests, pots were restricted within 100 yards of all navigation aids, there would not be a pot buoy to be seen in this channel, nor in neighboring York Narrows.
My personal position is that the current lobster fishery boom, which has resulted in the placement of more traps than ever, is in danger of overfishing a valuable resource, and that the overall number of traps should be reduced. In my opinion, this would not only help extend the fishery, but would also significantly impact (in a positive way) the hazard of pot buoys in navigable waters.
Despite that feeling, I heartily support the lobster industry, and am a fan of lobstermen in general. In no way do I support any sort of restriction on the placement of lobster traps when it is clear that these very restrictions would effectively limit the lobstermen's' ability to harvest. The fact that too many traps are being set now, in my opinion, is a separate issue that I feel should be addressed and, if successfully addressed, would have a desirable effect on the numbers of pots clogging the channels. Thanks to the recent boom in the industry, larger lobster boats setting more traps are increasingly common, and it is this fact, I believe, that has led to the admittedly dense population of lobster pots in most areas. I think that lowered trap limits would go a long way, without unduly restricting any fisherman's ability to make a living at his chosen (or born) task.
Here are some general observations and some of the issues at hand as I see them, all of which factor in to the overall picture somehow. Everyone is entitled to form their own opinion on what is right or not, but looking at the issue one-sided is unhealthy for all.
1. Lobster pots are placed where they are because that's where the lobsters are. Unfortunately, lobsters favor living in places where the bottom geography changes radically--that is, near and around ledges and similar underwater features. They also like areas containing current. In Maine, most navigable areas are bounded, often closely, by rocky ledges. This is also where the lobsters are. There's a reason why you see fewer traps in deep water with flat bottom beneath: the lobsters are not there. To restrict the placement of traps as the author suggests would effectively eliminate the vitality of the industry. Realistically, of course, this will never happen.
2. Yes, some lobstermen are total jerks, and probably do things with malicious intent towards pleasure boaters. It would be silly to try and deny this when it's clearly true in a few cases. Mostly, it's not really like this.
3. A lot more pleasure boaters are jerks than lobstermen, in my experience. Some people deserve what they get, to be blunt. And I've seen some unpleasant lobstermen, so that's saying something.
4. Most lobstermen are salt of the earth, hard-working people trying to make a living in a very difficult business. All fisheries are challenging, to say the least.
5. Pleasure boaters certainly have as much of a right to use the waters as do fishermen. There's no question that both need to exist in harmony somehow. That said, it may be helpful to remember that pleasure boaters choose to be out there, while fishermen must be out there in order to make a living. Courtesy and respect towards a hard-working individual is generally well received, and a perpetuation of this attitude would go a long way towards dissolving the current discord that exists.
6. Steering amongst lobster pots in a current-ridden channel is extremely challenging at times, and requires constant vigilance. In short: pay attention! Autopilots do not apply here, frankly, and I think inattention and an overreliance on automation are to blame for many peoples' problems. I have yet to see an channel that cannot be successfully navigated through the pots, though sometimes from a distance I wonder how I'll make it through. Sometimes it takes significant course changes. It's a pain, but it's part of navigating in Maine.
7. Sure, I wish there were no lobster pots out there. They're incredibly frustrating at times. That doesn't mean that their placement should be restricted on my behalf. I'll adjust.
8. Why can't anyone who gets caught, whether through pure bad luck or through a wrong decision or inattention, ever take some of the responsibility on themselves? They're always the victims. At least share the blame, people. On the water more than anywhere else, only the skipper is responsible for what happens to his own boat in the end.
9. If you get in trouble in your boat on the coast of Maine, lobstermen will almost certainly be ready, willing, and available to help immediately. There are countless stories to this effect.
10. Silly rules and legislation would be the last thing that would do any good. Are lobster pots an impediment to navigation? Sure they are, but so are islands, fog, wind, sun, and other pleasure boats. In a society where people seem to take no personal responsibility for anything whatsoever, it's completely unsurprising that a poor, maligned pleasure boater would be, of course, fault-free in a situation like this, so somebody else must be held responsible, therefore.
11. Lobster traps should probably be restricted in many permanent harbors, but not necessarily the channels leading to those harbors.
12. No, it's absolutely no joke when one gets caught on a pot warp, particularly on the prop shaft. But I don't think that this occurrence is inevitable. There are always extenuating circumstances, somehow. We just don't always know what they are.
13. Lobsters are Maine and Maine is lobsters. To enjoy the bountiful cruising and sailing here, one must be prepared to accept the existing situation.
14. Toggles are miserable, and I hate them: but they are a fact of life in downeast Maine where large tides (and resulting currents) require their use lest the pot buoys be sucked beneath the surface (where, incidentally, they would be even more of a potential hazard and completely invisible). Toggles and the slack lines leading to the actual colored pot buoys are easy to avoid as long as one takes into account the direction of the wind or current, which always sets the pot buoy downstream of the toggle. It is sometimes a real challenge to sail or motor around all of them, but it is always possible.
15. I'll repeat again that I think that a lowered trap limit--that is, the number of traps that can be set for each lobster license--is probably called for, not only to preserve the fishery long-term (which is good for everyone here), but also to effectively reduce the number of pot buoys placed in every location. It didn't used to be as bad as it is now, back when people went lobstering to make a living, not to make an absolute killing as big business. I agree that there are too many pots out there, but feel that the solution is not as radical as those penned by many frightened and angry boaters who have had bad experiences in recent years.
16. I sure don't know it all. The above is my (hopefully informed) opinion, and alternate or supporting opinions based on sound information are welcome.
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dasein668
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I fall strongly on the side of the lobstermen as well. And I have had a bad experience with getting caught on pot warp in snotty conditions. But I also had the experience of receiving aid in that situation from a lobsterman out of Stonington. None of the pleasure boats in the area offered so much as a look.
My feeling is that if you don't like lobster pots, perhaps you should sail somewhere else, or take up golf.
My feeling is that if you don't like lobster pots, perhaps you should sail somewhere else, or take up golf.
Nathan
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Noah
- Skilled Systems Installer
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While I have lobstered on the cape for a few years, and enjoy it, I'm glad I sail on a lake with nothing to watch out for.
Especially at this time of year when it gets dark early. I love sailing back to the mooring in a gentle breeze with the moon up and the stars out. Particularly after sharing a bottle of wine and good food out on the lake. wrapping a lobster pot warp around the prop would wreck even the prettiest night. At least it's warm (er) water here.
Especially at this time of year when it gets dark early. I love sailing back to the mooring in a gentle breeze with the moon up and the stars out. Particularly after sharing a bottle of wine and good food out on the lake. wrapping a lobster pot warp around the prop would wreck even the prettiest night. At least it's warm (er) water here.
I want a shop!
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bcooke
- Master of the Arcane
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So Tim, do you have any thoughts about lobster pots?...
Definitely, lobstermen and women are in general much friendlier and more helpful than they are often given credit for. Perhaps that is because they always look so crusty but in any case, despite a few bad apples, my dealings with them have been very positive. That is quite remarkable considering the average pleasure boat skipper is total ninkompoop and doesn't deserve the generosity of lobster boat skippers.
Of course I hate lobster pots and can't see how a population can thrive when there is a pot every thirty feet along the bottom. Really, in places the water must stink with the smell of bait and it seems to me the lobsters are farmed more than fished.
My pet peeve is the harbor entrances clogged with pots. How can a boat be manuevered safely into port at night with no clear channel to make for? As it stands, it is a total crap shoot.
Rant over. Lobster pots are here to stay. Next time I head downeast I am going to Nova Scotia. I hear the lobster season ends in June or July leaving the oceans pot free for the rest of the year.
-Britton
Definitely, lobstermen and women are in general much friendlier and more helpful than they are often given credit for. Perhaps that is because they always look so crusty but in any case, despite a few bad apples, my dealings with them have been very positive. That is quite remarkable considering the average pleasure boat skipper is total ninkompoop and doesn't deserve the generosity of lobster boat skippers.
Of course I hate lobster pots and can't see how a population can thrive when there is a pot every thirty feet along the bottom. Really, in places the water must stink with the smell of bait and it seems to me the lobsters are farmed more than fished.
My pet peeve is the harbor entrances clogged with pots. How can a boat be manuevered safely into port at night with no clear channel to make for? As it stands, it is a total crap shoot.
Rant over. Lobster pots are here to stay. Next time I head downeast I am going to Nova Scotia. I hear the lobster season ends in June or July leaving the oceans pot free for the rest of the year.
-Britton
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dasein668
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I should reword that slightly: If you can't deal with the lobster pots [or current, or tides, or rocks, or fog], perhaps you should sail somewhere else, or take up golf.Self wrote:
My feeling is that if you don't like lobster pots, perhaps you should sail somewhere else, or take up golf.
Nathan
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dasein668
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Oh, btw, I'm 99% sure that I listened to these (the mason folks in the article) people on the radio for several hours this summer during their "adventure."
Nathan
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Eric
- Almost a Finish Carpenter
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Yes, pots are a menace. So are ledges, Jet boat drivers, and salt-water mosquitoes. Get over it.
We have evolved to a culture of nearly complete intolerance to suffering of any kind. We have become a nation of letter writing comfort seekers. God forbid we should tolerate a bit of discomfort long enough to learn something about ourselves...
I have grown up boating on the coast of Maine and reading and dodging pots is a treasured skill. When I purchased a boat, I chose one that had a full keel and a well-protected aperture for the auxiliary so I could let a wind vane steer through the pots, and, after three summers, I have yet to snag one. I?m sure it will happen sooner or later so I make sure that I have a mask and a towel on board at all times.
I do have to pay attention in light air or when under power of course. One of the attractions to boating on the ocean for me is that it does demand constant vigilance. Pots do not change this fact, but there are those on the water that have not yet learned this lesson of the sea.
I wish them all the best of luck.
We have evolved to a culture of nearly complete intolerance to suffering of any kind. We have become a nation of letter writing comfort seekers. God forbid we should tolerate a bit of discomfort long enough to learn something about ourselves...
I have grown up boating on the coast of Maine and reading and dodging pots is a treasured skill. When I purchased a boat, I chose one that had a full keel and a well-protected aperture for the auxiliary so I could let a wind vane steer through the pots, and, after three summers, I have yet to snag one. I?m sure it will happen sooner or later so I make sure that I have a mask and a towel on board at all times.
I do have to pay attention in light air or when under power of course. One of the attractions to boating on the ocean for me is that it does demand constant vigilance. Pots do not change this fact, but there are those on the water that have not yet learned this lesson of the sea.
I wish them all the best of luck.
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Figment
- Damned Because It's All Connected
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On a full-keel boat, with the prop in an aperture like ours or this Mason, I think that if you manage to suck a pot warp into your prop, you kinda had to be aiming right for it at the perfect angle. If a particular patch of water around a mark is so densely packed with pot bouys that you think you might have a problem, it's your own fault for pressing your luck and not altering course around the patch.
Isn't the line-cutting disc supposed to go AHEAD of the propellor?
In agreement with Tim's point #14, toggles are an absolute necessity in strong current.
I'm not the Mayor of Lobstertown, but I don't know of any lobstermen who bouy a warp from each trap in a string. If a particular string has more than 3 traps on it, they may bouy both ends, but certainly not the midline traps.
I find the very idea that pleasureboaters could or should influence lobstering regulation to be offensive. Who the hell do we think we are? Lobstermen are out there earning a living. They win. Period.
Isn't the line-cutting disc supposed to go AHEAD of the propellor?
In agreement with Tim's point #14, toggles are an absolute necessity in strong current.
I'm not the Mayor of Lobstertown, but I don't know of any lobstermen who bouy a warp from each trap in a string. If a particular string has more than 3 traps on it, they may bouy both ends, but certainly not the midline traps.
I find the very idea that pleasureboaters could or should influence lobstering regulation to be offensive. Who the hell do we think we are? Lobstermen are out there earning a living. They win. Period.
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Tim
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Frankly, I like these whiney horror stories because they tend to keep worry-warts from coming to the state in the first place, keeping the waters more clear for the rest of us who can accept the natural conditions of the area.
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Jason K
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I'll throw in a brief 2 cents here. While we don't have lobster pots or lobster here, fisheries is a huge part of not only the local economy, but it is a vital and colorful part of the local culture as well.
Instead of lobster pots, we have crab traps - and a lot of them. There are a few regulations: the traps are to be strung in a straight line, they aren't to be in major shipping channels, and (I think) not in harbor entrances.
However, traps do drift and they can become impossible to see at night as they become covered in muck. And yes, they are a pain when you foul the prop - I've done it on a number of boats, including the Triton.
Yet I still I have to favor the crab (and lobster) fishermen. We are pleasure boaters. While we do have rights and have, in some cases, earned the right to voice our concerns, I cannot condone interference in the livelihood of those who make their living on the water. Unless there is a significant safety or environmental hazard, imposing more restrictions on an already embattled industry is a bit selfish.
Crab fishermen and lobstermen do not intend for their traps to be a menace. In fact, if you do foul a trap, it is usually the fishermen who are the real losers. While it may be an inconveniece, rarely is a prop or shaft damaged by a fouled line. The fisherman, on the other hand, loses the trap.
The burden is on the recreational boater to avoid traps, not the other way around.
Instead of lobster pots, we have crab traps - and a lot of them. There are a few regulations: the traps are to be strung in a straight line, they aren't to be in major shipping channels, and (I think) not in harbor entrances.
However, traps do drift and they can become impossible to see at night as they become covered in muck. And yes, they are a pain when you foul the prop - I've done it on a number of boats, including the Triton.
Yet I still I have to favor the crab (and lobster) fishermen. We are pleasure boaters. While we do have rights and have, in some cases, earned the right to voice our concerns, I cannot condone interference in the livelihood of those who make their living on the water. Unless there is a significant safety or environmental hazard, imposing more restrictions on an already embattled industry is a bit selfish.
Crab fishermen and lobstermen do not intend for their traps to be a menace. In fact, if you do foul a trap, it is usually the fishermen who are the real losers. While it may be an inconveniece, rarely is a prop or shaft damaged by a fouled line. The fisherman, on the other hand, loses the trap.
The burden is on the recreational boater to avoid traps, not the other way around.