Tag Archives: Chris Shorr
A lobsterman’s life
With respect to The Phoenix’s focus on food this month, I (Chris Shorr) figured it’d be a good time to paint part of the real picture behind the process and effort that goes into catching lobsters in Maine. For most lobstermen, their days start well before the sun comes up. Checking the weather forecast is a must, particularly for the wind speeds and visibility, plus things like sunrise and sunset times, and when the high and low tides will be. During this time of year, the days when Mother Nature will allow lobstermen in Maine to haul their traps are few and far between. That’s because in the winter months the only place to catch lobsters is many miles offshore, and in the harsher weather most boats can’t handle such a trip in winds any faster than about 15 miles an hour. Read the rest here 10:05
Maine lobster shedding its shell caught in photos
When a lobster first sheds its shell, the new shell is so soft that it feels like a rotten banana. Occasionally they come up in lobster traps, and are commonly referred to as “jelly bellies”. They’re so soft that an elastic band would crush their claws, and they can’t be sold for wholesale because they would get crushed. Read more and view the pictures here 08:17:
Maine lobsterman Skip Werner devises “underwater lasso” for finding lost traps
My boss Skip Werner has been lobstering for over sixty years. In that time he’s picked up quite a few helpful tricks of the trade, but he’s still always trying to come up with clever ideas of his own to make life easier on the lobster boat. Last week he came up with an idea that he coined, “the underwater lasso.” Read more here, and a photo display of the innovation. 08:00
