Notes on Maine - Lobster buoys

Buoys lining a path on Warren Island (just west of Isleboro Island) in Penobscot Bay. Park rangers and visitors collected these from the island shoreline over who knows what period of time.

Lobster buoys everywhere! We didn't find them to be much of a nuisance...probably because we were expecting to see waters thick with them and also because we hand-steer Pecan. And hey, you can't have lobsters without the buoys (and traps) to catch them, right? So, with non-autopilot control of our Rossie we easily picked our way among the buoys--never snagged one during our travels. That being said, we did have quite a few close calls when underway in the fog. I can't imagine cruising around after dark--that's a 100% guaranteed way to run into these!

What took us by surprise was what we saw along the exposed, and not-so-exposed, shorelines. Buoys wedged under tree roots at the high-tide line; buoys in rock and boulder crevices; buoys lying on pebble beaches. It didn't take long--once we decided--to collect a fair number of these. In addition to having the frayed, cut end of a piece of polypropylene float line attached, many buoys had the spindles, buoy sticks and breakaway plastic swivels attached. (The swivels have a 600 or 1000 lb. test strength are meant to break if a marine mammal get entwined in the float line.)

Between Isle Au Haut and Vinalhaven the water was pretty clear. Here you can see the foreground buoy and a 'spur' line attached underway to a second buoy in the background. I understand there's not much scope payed out when the lobsterman dump the traps overboard. The secondary buoy is used to account for the ten foot tides should the buoy in the foreground be underwater at high tide when the lobsterman is out retrieving the trap.

Hamilton Marine sells everything you need to build a proper lobster trap. You can buy a ready-made one for $75 to $99 get the individual components. These buoys sell for $2 to $9 each.

While Rich is 'foraging' for buoys Tamara shell collecting.

More shell and buoy collecting, this time in the Achilles dinghy.

Another day another buoy(s).

Our collection of some 60 plus buoys now on display along the fence in the backyard.