Today, was my last day on the boat! We went out off shore, so that we could haul some more double traps. We hauled about 35 double traps. The rest of the traps were single traps. It takes about 25 minutes to get out to that area of the water, so i was able to fill a lot of bait bags on the way out. We found some more fish in the traps today. Uncle Art had about 6 traps on the back of his boat today to set. They were all going to be set as double traps, so he has to tie them both together. One trap has the long rope that is connected to the buoy, and the other trap, has a small white rope that is connected to the other main trap, and that is how they are hauled as doubles.
The day did not start out good, because when Uncle Art went to set the first pair, he forgot to tie the other trap to the main trap, so that one trap went all the way down to the bottom of the ocean and we could never get it. He was pretty mad. We also had a ton of sea-weed grass stuff on all of the double traps when we hauled them. The single traps do not get the sea-grass on them but the double traps do, because they are connected, and usually the second trap off of the double traps gets all of the sea-grass. The reason is because, when the double traps are hauled, the second trap is dragged along the bottom of the ocean floor until it can be pulled up, so it collects a lot of sea-grass. Sometimes we cant even see the trap there is so much of it on there.
We were not getting a lot of lobsters from any of the traps, but once in a while we would get some. At the end of the day, we only caught about 300 Lbs of lobsters. It was my last day, and i got to go home, and make a sandwich to take on the road, because we were driving to Rockland to spend 3 nights in a hotel until we went home. We were going to stop in wiscasset, so that me and my brother could go to a place called "Monkey C Monkey DO" it had like zip-lines, and outdoor lazertag. We would be there while my mom, Uncle Art, Aunt Pennie, and Oma went out to eat dinner. Me and Levi had a lot of fun there, and we loved outdoor lazer tag. Then, we did the twin zipline for the rest of the time. We got ice-cream at the end of the day, then my mom and Oma came to pick us up. We said goodbye to Uncle Art, and Aunt Pennie before we left.
We then drove about 50 minutes to get to the hotel in Rockland where we would be spending 3 nights there until we leave Tuesday Morning. There will be a guest blogger sometime in the next few days!!!1
-August 30, Sunday
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Friday, August 28, 2015
Day Off! (Last Day Tomorrow!)
Yesterday, I was out on the boat, and it was not foggy for once in the morning. Uncle Art said that it was going to be a fairly short day, and that we would be done at about Noon, or 1 P.M. We were hauling only single traps today, and we were not getting that many lobsters during the beginning of the day. The only thing that saved us was the traps that we hauled at the end, that were put near the rocks where the big lobsters live. We caught a TON of great lobsters there, and at the end of the day, we had about 411 LBS. It was sunny the whole day, and there was no fog anywhere! It was really nice to work on the boat that day.
Yesterday night, i spent the night at Aunt Pennies house, and then i came to my moms house this morning so that we could have a pancake breakfast. I had 2 big pancakes, and a few silver dollar pancakes. I always put peanut-butter on my pancakes, and then syrup, and it tastes really good! During the day, we played some card games, and a game kind of like charades. I read some of my book, The Scarlet Letter, for school, and it is actually a good book and i like to read it!
We went to the park, and me and Levi played on the orange spinning circle toy. It was really fun, until i got some skin ripped off of my hand from holding onto the metal to tightly or something. I don't know if it will still hurt tomorrow when it is my last day to haul, but it is feeling ok right now when i am typing. I do not have any pictures to post today because i have none left, but i have been playing a game on my ipod a lot because a new update just came out!
-August 28, Friday
Yesterday night, i spent the night at Aunt Pennies house, and then i came to my moms house this morning so that we could have a pancake breakfast. I had 2 big pancakes, and a few silver dollar pancakes. I always put peanut-butter on my pancakes, and then syrup, and it tastes really good! During the day, we played some card games, and a game kind of like charades. I read some of my book, The Scarlet Letter, for school, and it is actually a good book and i like to read it!
We went to the park, and me and Levi played on the orange spinning circle toy. It was really fun, until i got some skin ripped off of my hand from holding onto the metal to tightly or something. I don't know if it will still hurt tomorrow when it is my last day to haul, but it is feeling ok right now when i am typing. I do not have any pictures to post today because i have none left, but i have been playing a game on my ipod a lot because a new update just came out!
-August 28, Friday
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Short Day! (got a big lobster)
Today, was a pretty short day, and we hauled only singles. We were getting about an average of 1-3 lobsters per trap near the beginning of the day, so we were doing the traps really fast. It was rainy this morning. It stopped raining after about 30 minutes on the boat, and it was really foggy, and the fog never went away for the whole day.
Today, Uncle Art would push back a trap to me if we had 2 traps really close together, so that i could to that trap, and he could get the 2nd trap that was really close together, so that we could go quicker. We found a Codfish in one of our traps today. They have like a single whisker on the bottom of their chin, and they are really slippery, and hard to get out of the lobster traps.
In one of our traps, we got a really big female lobster. It was a really big one also, and it didn't have shell disease, just like all of the other big female lobsters had that we found. I held it in my hands and it was huge! I had to hold a claw in each hand!
Today, Uncle Art would push back a trap to me if we had 2 traps really close together, so that i could to that trap, and he could get the 2nd trap that was really close together, so that we could go quicker. We found a Codfish in one of our traps today. They have like a single whisker on the bottom of their chin, and they are really slippery, and hard to get out of the lobster traps.
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| Codfish in the trap! |
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| BIG LOBSTER!! |
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Easy Day!(took my mom and oma on the boat)
Today, we were going to only be doing single traps. I love single traps because i have a system for getting everything done every trap. I do the traps bait first, then I band the lobsters, last I fill the bait bag from the last trap and put a rock fish on it. It is a really efficient process so that it gets done as fast as possible. It was foggy early in the morning, but as the day went on, it got really nice, and sunny!
We were going to take my mom, my Oma, and my brother Levi, on the lobster boat later today, so that they could see me haul 10 traps. Levi wanted to band the lobsters and "send them to jail" as he calls it as he sends them down the shoot to the lobster box. We were finished with our original traps at about 12:30 P.M. but then we hauled some traps that only had 4 nights on them because we had more time because we were going to pick up them at 2 P.M. to go on the boat. Those traps were filled with lobster and he is glad that we hauled them.
We had some traps up near a really small island, and Uncle Art said it was up in the rocks where the big lobsters lived. He said that the big lobsters like to live up in the rocks near the island because they are separated from the smaller lobsters. He had some traps there, and it was only like 10-20 Feet deep. We hauled them, and we got really good sized lobsters from those traps. We got about 3 really good sized lobsters that were really big and to big to keep.
My Uncle Arts mom named Lucy, has a lobster on the wall and it is 20 LBS. It is mounted on her wall and i got a picture of it!
-August 25, Tuesday
We were going to take my mom, my Oma, and my brother Levi, on the lobster boat later today, so that they could see me haul 10 traps. Levi wanted to band the lobsters and "send them to jail" as he calls it as he sends them down the shoot to the lobster box. We were finished with our original traps at about 12:30 P.M. but then we hauled some traps that only had 4 nights on them because we had more time because we were going to pick up them at 2 P.M. to go on the boat. Those traps were filled with lobster and he is glad that we hauled them.
We had some traps up near a really small island, and Uncle Art said it was up in the rocks where the big lobsters lived. He said that the big lobsters like to live up in the rocks near the island because they are separated from the smaller lobsters. He had some traps there, and it was only like 10-20 Feet deep. We hauled them, and we got really good sized lobsters from those traps. We got about 3 really good sized lobsters that were really big and to big to keep.
My Uncle Arts mom named Lucy, has a lobster on the wall and it is 20 LBS. It is mounted on her wall and i got a picture of it!
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| HUGE 20 LB LOBSTER! |
Monday, August 24, 2015
Double Traps Day! (got a HUGE lobster!)
Today, we were going to go off shore to haul the double traps that we have about 3 miles away from shore. Since it takes about 25-30 minutes to get there, i have tome to fill a lot of bait bags so that i can have extra if i need them. I had cereal again for breakfast today. It was the cinnamon one. We got out on the boat, and we did some double traps first, but it was really foggy at the time. After we did some double traps, Uncle Art decided that we would just do single traps until the fog cleared up. He has about 30 single traps out there, and the rest are double traps. The traps need to be double traps so that when the whales are migrating, they don't get choked with the ropes, because the double trap makes it so the whales can get by.
Throughout the day, it was foggy one second, and then i turn around from filling up a few bait bags, and you can see 3 miles and all directions. Then, 3 traps later, you cant see your next buoy. It was crazy! It was like fog waves were just rolling over us and it was foggy, then not foggy every 30 minutes. In one of the double traps, we found a HUE lobster, and Uncle Art got a picture of me with it! He said that if i got clawed by that one, it could REALLY hurt me!
We found some more fish inside of our traps. There was a fish that was in our trap, and Uncle Art said that he would fill up with air in his stomach. He was like a puffer fish, but only his stomach inflated not his whole body.
We thought that we would be out on the boat until 3 P.M. but we got done at about 1:30 P.M. Uncle Art said that i was doing a really good job working. I want to come back next year!
-August 24, Monday
Throughout the day, it was foggy one second, and then i turn around from filling up a few bait bags, and you can see 3 miles and all directions. Then, 3 traps later, you cant see your next buoy. It was crazy! It was like fog waves were just rolling over us and it was foggy, then not foggy every 30 minutes. In one of the double traps, we found a HUE lobster, and Uncle Art got a picture of me with it! He said that if i got clawed by that one, it could REALLY hurt me!
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| Huge lobster! |
We thought that we would be out on the boat until 3 P.M. but we got done at about 1:30 P.M. Uncle Art said that i was doing a really good job working. I want to come back next year!
-August 24, Monday
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Day Off! (Sunday - Went to look at houses)
Today was Sunday, so we could not haul today. I would be going home in about 8 days. Today, my Grandma, and my Dad, flew back home to Michigan. I got up at about 7:30 A.M. to say goodbye to them before they left at 8 A.M. After they left, i read a chapter of my book, the scarlet letter, that i have to read for school. Then, me, my brother, Aunt Pennie, my mom, and my Oma, all got into the car to go and check out houses that my mom might buy in Maine.
My mom wants to buy a house in maine so that when we come back out here in the summers for me to work, we can have our own house, and so that my Oma can use it whenever she wants. We looked at 3 houses, and i liked the 2nd one the best, because the whole house was really open, and unique. There were not really any rooms, you could see everything in the house, and there were no walls, so everything was just open, and it was awesome! The people who had lived there before, had some really unique pieces of art that looked really strange and irreplaceable!
We had lunch at a place called the "Happy Clam" They had some really good seafood meals, and really good soups. I got a cheeseburger, and some onion rings. The onion rings were huge and really good! There was a playground at the "Happy Clam" It had a swing-set, and it had a huge game of Jenga!
By the playground, they also had a toy car that little kids could ride around in, and it actually has an electric battery and it goes by itself, so you don't need to move it, and Levi loved driving in that!
They had a chair, that was somehow, made out of a lobster trap. They made it like a real chair with a back, and arm rests, and it has the net inside of it and it looks really cool!
After we were done looking at the houses, we got back to the house, and i read more chapters of my book, and then, me and Levi were going to go and put some more coins on the rail-road track so that they would get flattened!
-August 23, Sunday
My mom wants to buy a house in maine so that when we come back out here in the summers for me to work, we can have our own house, and so that my Oma can use it whenever she wants. We looked at 3 houses, and i liked the 2nd one the best, because the whole house was really open, and unique. There were not really any rooms, you could see everything in the house, and there were no walls, so everything was just open, and it was awesome! The people who had lived there before, had some really unique pieces of art that looked really strange and irreplaceable!
We had lunch at a place called the "Happy Clam" They had some really good seafood meals, and really good soups. I got a cheeseburger, and some onion rings. The onion rings were huge and really good! There was a playground at the "Happy Clam" It had a swing-set, and it had a huge game of Jenga!
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| Giant Jenga! |
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| Levi riding in the car! |
After we were done looking at the houses, we got back to the house, and i read more chapters of my book, and then, me and Levi were going to go and put some more coins on the rail-road track so that they would get flattened!
-August 23, Sunday
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Rainy Day (lobsters dropped off)
Today, I got up, and i had a boal of cereal for breakfast. It was cinnamon, and it was really good! I packed some peanut-butter crackers and a water bottle into my plastic bag for a snack on the boat. We went out at about 5:15 A.M. from the boat, to go to the wharf. It was not foggy like usual. When we got onto the boat, it started to rain a little bit, and so we had to put on our raincoats. From then and on, the rain went on and off, and it wasn't cool, because i had to keep my head looking down, or else i would get a ton of rain in my face.
Soon, the rain went a way for a while, and i got to take my rain jacket off. We only hauled single traps today, but sometimes, if the traps were close together, Uncle Art would give a trap to me for me to do, so that he could get the other trap for him to do. The lobsters were dropping off today, and at the end of the day, we didn't even fill the box all the way to the top. It started to rain again soon, and i put my rain jacket back on.
We got done at about 1 P.M. and my Grandma, Dad, and brother Levi, were going to take a short trip with me and Uncle Art on the boat so they could see what it was actually like to haul a trap. We left 5 traps for that trip so that they could see us haul the 5 traps. Levi wanted to band the lobsters, but he wanted someone else to hold them while he put the rubber band on them. Uncle Art has a gate around his propeller so he does not get rope tangled and it looks like this.
We got back to the wharf at 1, and we unloaded our lobsters, and we had about 500 pounds. We usually get more than that, but today, they dropped off. Uncle Art left me in charge of the boat at the wharf, while he went over to the Lobstah Shack nextdoor, to get some cheeseburgers for me and him for lunch. By the time he got back, Grandma, My brother Levi, and my Dad, were ready, and were getting on the boat. We all got onto the boat, to go for a mini haul session.
On the way out, i had my cheeseburger with some potato chips, and we talked about the boat, and what happens when we haul a trap. We showed them the bait box and where the lobsters go. We were going to haul 5 traps where it was very rocky, and usually that is where the big lobsters are. We hauled the traps, and we got about 8 good sized lobsters from each trap. Those traps did great! Levi got to band some lobsters.
On one of those traps, there were some sea-urchins in there. They were green, and they are really sharp, and my Dad, and Grandma got to check them out. We also, got about 40 conch shells from just that trap alone. It was so crazy, i got all of them out of the trap, and put them on the side of the boat to take a picture, then i threw them all back into the ocean.
Soon, the rain went a way for a while, and i got to take my rain jacket off. We only hauled single traps today, but sometimes, if the traps were close together, Uncle Art would give a trap to me for me to do, so that he could get the other trap for him to do. The lobsters were dropping off today, and at the end of the day, we didn't even fill the box all the way to the top. It started to rain again soon, and i put my rain jacket back on.
We got done at about 1 P.M. and my Grandma, Dad, and brother Levi, were going to take a short trip with me and Uncle Art on the boat so they could see what it was actually like to haul a trap. We left 5 traps for that trip so that they could see us haul the 5 traps. Levi wanted to band the lobsters, but he wanted someone else to hold them while he put the rubber band on them. Uncle Art has a gate around his propeller so he does not get rope tangled and it looks like this.
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| This cage keeps the trap ropes out of the propeller so that they don't get tangled in it. |
We got back to the wharf at 1, and we unloaded our lobsters, and we had about 500 pounds. We usually get more than that, but today, they dropped off. Uncle Art left me in charge of the boat at the wharf, while he went over to the Lobstah Shack nextdoor, to get some cheeseburgers for me and him for lunch. By the time he got back, Grandma, My brother Levi, and my Dad, were ready, and were getting on the boat. We all got onto the boat, to go for a mini haul session.
On the way out, i had my cheeseburger with some potato chips, and we talked about the boat, and what happens when we haul a trap. We showed them the bait box and where the lobsters go. We were going to haul 5 traps where it was very rocky, and usually that is where the big lobsters are. We hauled the traps, and we got about 8 good sized lobsters from each trap. Those traps did great! Levi got to band some lobsters.
On one of those traps, there were some sea-urchins in there. They were green, and they are really sharp, and my Dad, and Grandma got to check them out. We also, got about 40 conch shells from just that trap alone. It was so crazy, i got all of them out of the trap, and put them on the side of the boat to take a picture, then i threw them all back into the ocean.
When we got back to the wharf, we put the boat back, and then a fish, just jumped out of the water, onto the floating wooden raft. It was so crazy, because no one had ever seen that before. Then everyone got off, and i went back to my moms house with my dad, Grandma, and Levi.
-August 22, Saturday
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