Randy Randall

Photo courtesy Randy RandallThe author, in the shallows in his kayak.

A meditation on minnows

July 29, 2024 at 12:00 am

How do they all know to turn at the same time?

Photo courtesy Randy RandallThe author, foreground, holds a keeper while his fishing partner Gary looks on.

Recreational lobstering in Maine

May 20, 2024 at 12:00 am

I’ve never really understood how the commercial guys can find 600 traps out on the open ocean. We had enough trouble finding 10.

Photo courtesy boat-from-usa.comTwo-stroke engines require oil to be mixed with gasoline to keep the engine lubricated. Forget that critical step and you’ll end up with an expensive anchor.

Two-stroke troubles

November 20, 2023 at 12:00 am

Forget the oil in your 2-stroke outboard and you may be rowing home.

Photo courtesy Randy RandallSteam rises from the lobster pit as family and guests await the completion of a classic Maine lobster bake.

Dad’s lobster bakes

June 19, 2023 at 12:00 am

A traditional lobster bake – at least as I understood them growing up – uses driftwood, seawood and hot stones, items typically found on or near any beach in Maine, and that iconic crustacean our state is known for, lobsters.

Bill Marston at the helm of Snuggawumps.

Hauling Snuggawumps

November 21, 2022 at 12:00 am

When your plans don’t go according to… the plan

Photo courtesy Randy RandallAuthor Randy Randall and his faithful sidekick Scout enjoy some late summer sun on Charlie’s Bench.

Charlie’s Bench, a holy place

September 26, 2022 at 12:00 am

You can get quite a bit of information just sitting on the bench at Marston’s Marina.

When all else fails, call a diver

When all else fails, call a diver

July 25, 2022 at 12:00 am

Tools, phones, wallets and various gear all go splash at some point. If you want them back, you’re gonna need a diver.

Photo by Randy RandallGirding happens when a boat being towed overtakes the boat towing it and can potentially cause a capsize. Here, an employee of Marston’s Marina in Saco, Maine uses their workboat to tow a customer to the dock.

Girding is a thing

June 20, 2022 at 12:00 am

July 2022 By Randy Randall So, what is girding? Funny you should ask. Maybe some kind of medieval torture or that feeling you get in your stomach when the long sea swells go on forever? Well, it’s none of those. Girding (sometimes called tripping) describes a marine accident that couldRead More

Boats are not cars. Take it easy

Boats are not cars. Take it easy

May 23, 2022 at 12:00 am

June 2022 By Randy Randall I know it may seem obvious, but boats are not cars. That said, every summer here at the marina, we have our share of bunged-up docks, bent props and smashed electrical towers, all because most new boat owners seem to think running a boat isRead More

Photo courtesy Randy RandallSafety chains, as their name suggests, offer a back up connection between the towing vehicle and the trailer... just in case.

About those safety chains…

April 18, 2022 at 12:00 am

May 2022 By Randy Randall “Whoa!” We all yelled, but it was too late. The boat rolled off the trailer, tipped up in the air, and fell with a smash onto the pavement. Now we all stood around looking at the boat high and dry right in the middle ofRead More