First time cruisers to Maine take note

[All U Get]

Let's buy the senators from Maine a boat!

With or without a plug?
All U Get

 

[Gail R]

I would personally like to thank Rick486 for his public service announcement. Hopefully it will thin the herd of boats that come here from afar and leave more room in the anchorage for us natives!

 

[Maine Sail]

Great post, Kris. My only quibble is in your opening, when you state "Maine is unique in New England in that much of our waterfront is still working." It is not unique. I would venture that Massachusetts lands more commercial fish tonnage than Maine, and in fact, Maine ground fishing boats are abandoning Maine for Massachusetts ports, principally Gloucester.

I suspect that was not Kris' point. You're trying to compare fishing tonnage catches in $$$ with miles of working water frontage and number of fishing harbors.

His point, I suspect, was "working waterfront" as in water frontage and water access. We all know what has happened in states like MA, NH, CT & RI when it comes to waterfront access and fisherman who have good access to the water and can still afford it.

I can still remember fishing out of Rye Harbor and Portsmouth. Nearly every fisherman I knew lived on or within feet of the water, their dock and boat. Today I can probably count on one hand the number of working fisherman who still have the working water front they had in the 70's & 80's in that area. While we are losing it in this state the state tries very hard to keep working water frontage, working water frontage and in that regard Maine is very unique..

 

[Maine Sail]

I would personally like to thank Rick486 for his pubolic service announcement. Hopefully it will thin the herd of boats that come here from afar and leave more room in the anchorage for us natives!

My thinking too..

 

[jviss]

I suspect that was not Kris' point. You're trying to compare fishing tonnage catches in $$$ with miles of working water frontage and number of fishing harbors

His point, I suspect, was "working waterfront" as in water frontage and water access. We all know what has happened in states like MA, NH, CT & RI when it comes to waterfront access and fisherman who have good access to the water and can still afford it.

I can still remember fishing out of Rye Harbor and Portsmouth. Nearly every fisherman I knew lived on or within feet of the water, their dock and boat. Today I can probably count on one hand the number of working fisherman who still have the working water front they had in the 70's & 80's in that area. While we are losing it in this state the state tries very hard to keep working water frontage, working water frontage and in that regard Maine is very unique..

Didn't know that's what he meant by "working waterfront."

 

[TomY]

Great post, Kris. My only quibble is in your opening, when you state "Maine is unique in New England in that much of our waterfront is still working." It is not unique. I would venture that Massachusetts lands more commercial fish tonnage than Maine, and in fact, Maine ground fishing boats are abandoning Maine for Massachusetts ports, principally Gloucester.

"Cash-strapped boats are landing fish in Gloucester primarily because they can earn extra money selling lobsters they catch in their nets, a practice allowed in every coastal state but Maine. At least five draggers have left Portland permanently for Gloucester and Boston."

from:
http://www.pressherald.com/archive/groundfishing-boats-abandoning-portland_2008-02-10.html

My home port of Westport, while very small, has a busy local fishing fleet. We're close to New Bedford which is legendary, and all the way up the coast, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, you'll find commercial fishing.

I mean to imply by unique, the number of fishing harbors(granted lobster boats) that are primarily there due to the history of lobster boats. These often employ public landings where fishermen land catch ashore, take on bait, even store boats, park trucks.

I find southern New England, especially places you mentioned to have some of the best public access as well. I'm always impressed with public access in places like MV, Nantucket, even BI. I guess I just don't see the numbers of fishermen(lobstermen) there I see on the coast of Maine.

Our ground fish stocks are indeed gone(such a sad state), but I'd call it by over fishing ground stocks both by our local draggers and foreign draggers from the past. However, lobsters do better with natural predators like ground fish eliminated, that's for sure.

I know there is a move on to allow Maine draggers to land lobsters in the state. Seems like a waste to me not to allow it in Maine but I admit I haven't followed the issue.

 

[TomY]

I would personally like to thank Rick486 for his public service announcement. Hopefully it will thin the herd of boats that come here from afar and leave more room in the anchorage for us natives!

It likely won't decrease traffic much. God knows I've been begging sailors to come up my way for years, and I haven't seen any increase!

The truth is, Maine is removed. For every boat that makes it up here from down south, hundreds stay close to home. In another month, you'll be able to turn the Queen Mary around in Pulpit Harbor.

 

[Rick486]

First time cruisers to Maine take note - update

I mean to imply by unique, the number of fishing harbors(granted lobster boats) that are primarily there due to the history of lobster boats. These often employ public landings where fishermen land catch ashore, take on bait, even store boats, park trucks.

I find southern New England, especially places you mentioned to have some of the best public access as well. I'm always impressed with public access in places like MV, Nantucket, even BI. I guess I just don't see the numbers of fishermen(lobstermen) there I see on the coast of Maine.

Our ground fish stocks are indeed gone(such a sad state), but I'd call it by over fishing ground stocks both by our local draggers and foreign draggers from the past. However, lobsters do better with natural predators like ground fish eliminated, that's for sure.

I know there is a move on to allow Maine draggers to land lobsters in the state. Seems like a waste to me not to allow it in Maine but I admit I haven't followed the issue.

Friends who have sailed and cruised for over 30 years told me they had spent the "....worst day on the water ever...". They sailed from Boothbay to Camden via the Two Bush channel in fog, big southeast breeze, and a sea running. They literally had no time to think routes through the worst lobster pot field they had ever seen, traveling at 7-8 knots in thick fog. Heads up.

 

[TomY]

Friends who have sailed and cruised for over 30 years told me they had spent the "....worst day on the water ever...". They sailed from Boothbay to Camden via the Two Bush channel in fog, big southeast breeze, and a sea running. They literally had no time to think routes through the worst lobster pot field they had ever seen, traveling at 7-8 knots in thick fog. Heads up.

Rick, I wouldn't recommend anyone sail through thick fog at 7 to 8 knots on the coast of Maine, unless they enjoy stress!

We were watching the Eggemoggin Reach Feeder races last week. This was Western Penobscot Bay between Camden and Rockport. There were a few pots but I don't recall any difficulty. The Eggemoggin Reach Regatta went off successfully again this year.