8/4/14
Today we’re heading toward the Mt. Desert area. Our plan is to go north eastward to Long Island, ME, and to a little harbor town called Frenchboro. There’s not much wind in the morning, so we’re motoring. Across Jericho bay there’s a minefield of lobster pots to scoot around. Many of the pots have a float on the line down to the bottom, and another float maybe 20 feet from the first float, to make it easier for the lobster guy or gal to grab. The second float is called a toggle, and the line between the 2 floats makes it really hard to avoid. So far on this trip, I’m sorry to admit that we’ve snagged 2 of them. Our line cutter on the propeller shaft did its job. We arrived in Frenchboro, went ashore and walked around this lobstering town. Lobster rolls for lunch, then back to River Rat for a siesta. A small lobster boat, “Rebecca Ann” ties up next to us in the mooring field. He takes the lobsters he caught today from his boat and puts them in floating containers for the night. Debi yells over to the lobsterman asking if he will sell any. Off we go in the dinghy to buy some. Mike, the lobster guy sells us 2 1 ¾ pound beauties for $12. As we’re talking about how the lobster guys and gals avoid the posts when they’re pulling in their own pots, and he tells us that during any given year, he loses about 50 pots to lines being cut. At about $100 per rig, that’s a big loss for a small operator. Then, he tells us that he snagged a pot today and the toggle line is wrapped around his propeller shaft now. He’s got to ground his boat tonight before the tide goes out (he’ll run the boat up a ramp at high tide and as the 10’ tide recedes his boat will rest on the ramp) and then he will clear the shaft. The process will take about 15 hours, since the tide is rising now and low tide is in the middle of the night. Back to River Rat we go, and the angel on my shoulder, Admiral Debi, nudges me into making the right decision, so I decide to dawn my wet suit and tank and help Mike out. Mike is thrilled, since clearing it now will allow him to get a good night’s sleep. I forgot to bring my wet suit hood, and the water is no more than 50 degrees, so when I dunk under, my head freezes, but 10 minutes of cutting and the shaft is clear. I remember my new friend Jerry who helped me with my wind generator in Belfast, so when Mike offers us lobsters in trade for my help, I tell him to just pass it forward, and he says he will. Our friends Chris and Ed from Freedom come over for cocktails and after they leave, we steam the lobsters and have them and a Caesar salad for dinner. We’re feeling pretty good and the sun sets on this town of hard working folks.