Published August, 2004
By Jesse Whitney
For Points East
The Bucks Harbor Yacht Club each year conducts an essay contest for the kids in grades 5 through 8 at the elementary school in Brooksville, Maine. This year's winner was Jesse Whitney, whose life was changed by a morning of lobstering with Foy Brown.
It was four summers ago when I really started to get interested in lobstering. When we got out to Vinalhaven, where we spend our summer, I asked my parents what I should do. They suggested I ask some lobstermen that we know. I called up Foy Brown, one of the lobstermen what we know probably the best because his family owns J.O. Brown & Sons boatyard. Foy said that he would like to take me out with him. I couldn't wait! I was to go hauling with him early, before he went to work helping people with their boat troubles.
That night I got myself ready by getting out a pair of fishing bibs, an old sweatshirt and a pair of boots. When I went to bed I thought of what the next day would bring. I wondered how many lobsters we would catch. When I fell asleep, I remember that my mind really took off. I imagined hauling up traps that were so full of lobsters that they were starting to bend. We would not only get lobsters, but all sorts of fish and sea creatures. Then I thought of a story I had just heard, about a lobsterman that got tangled up in the pot warp when the trap was going over the side. He got pulled right down to the bottom with it. I had to be sure to stay clear of all lines!
When I got up the next morning, I was still half-asleep. It was really early, so that Foy could go lobstering and still get to the boatyard to help people with their boat problems. When I found my way down the stairs in my early-morning trance and sat down at the table, all I had time to do was to scarf down a muffin. At least I was awake enough to walk down to the boathouse and get dressed in all my gear. When I was all geared up, my father started the engine of our little Whaler and my eyes opened up the rest of the way.
As we worked our way across the Fox Island Thorofare to North Haven, I thought of the dreams I had had the night before and started to come up with even more ideas about what might happen during my very first time hauling. I didn't realize at the time that this was when my lobstering life was to begin.
When we got to the dock at North Haven, the cold of the early morning had gotten to me. Even though it was cold out, I knew that my mind would be distracted once I started to lobster because I knew that it would be a lot of fun.
First thing I helped Foy do was to get the bait totes and bring them down to the boat. After making a few trips up and down the ramp, we had loaded all the bait into the boat. Foy hopped in and started her up. I have always loved the sound of a big lobster boat engine, and Centerfold sounded great! With the engine roaring, we were on our way out to the first traps on Foy's string. We headed towards the Sugar Loaves.
As Foy wrapped the line around the pothauler, I was bursting with excitement. I couldn't wait to see what would be in the traps. All I could think of was the dreams that I had the night before. When the trap got to the surface I reached over the side, grabbed it and brought it onto the rail to reveal a few lobsters and a lot of crabs. I tried to grab at the lobsters and Foy told me an easier way that wouldn't put me at such risk of getting pinched.
After I had emptied out all the lobsters, I started at the crabs. When I had emptied out the trap I got two bait bags ready and strung them into the trap. By the time I had emptied out the trap and gotten it re-baited, it had been quite a while. So the next trap that we hauled, Foy gave me some more pointers on emptying out the trap and putting in the bait bags so that I could get the trap ready quicker. Soon after I had gotten my full "getting the trap ready" lesson, I was able to get the trap ready quickly enough so that I was ready when Foy had the other trap on the line ready to go in.
The next trap that we hauled had a baby cod in it. It was the first that I had ever seen, so I made a point of putting it in the lobster tank that was constantly being pumped with fresh salt water to keep them alive. That way I could take it home.
By the end of the haul, I had learned a lot about lobstering and all the things that make it easier and more enjoyable to do. When we got to our dock, I was very satisfied with my morning. I had to stop thinking about that though, because my job wasn't over yet. We had to band all the lobsters we had caught.
While I was banding, I found the baby cod that had been brought up in one of the traps. Since I wasn't completely done banding, I decided to put it back into the tank and bring it out later to show to my parents. When I did show it to my parents, they were very surprised to see that a baby cod could be caught in a lobster trap. When I was done showing it to my parents, I dropped it back into the ocean, hoping that it would find its parents.
That night, as I lay in bed, I thought of what a day I had had. I really knew that I wanted to go lobstering now. I tried to think of what I would have to do to get ready. My dreams were filled with all the success I would have lobstering and knowing I owed it all to Foy.
Jesse is the son of Points East ad rep Lynn Whitney.
