Tag Archives: Menemsha Harbor
Keeping It Simple on the Water, Hauling Traps and Filling Pots
“Things were much simpler in the ‘50s or ‘60s out here,” Mr. Iacono said as he piloted Freedom, the 35-foot lobster boat he has been sailing for 42 years, past the modest working boats and glossy pleasure yachts on the way toward Vineyard Sound. The lobstering industry has changed dramatically since Mr. Iacono first began hauling traps and filling pots, and so has the technology. “When I started, we had wooden traps,” Mr. Iacono said as he hauled out a wire trap off the coast of Aquinnah, two writhing lobsters inside. “They were made of oak and they would always be so heavy because the wood would soak up the seawater.” Now, Mr. Iacono’s boat is decked out with radar, GPS and a fish finder that uses sonar to map the ocean floor and help lobstermen decide where to drop their traps. How did they manage before the tech? Photos, >click to read< 09:00
Environmental Police Investigate Mysterious Menemsha Harbor Lobster Deaths
“It was reported that a commercial lobsterman within Menemsha Harbor discovered what appeared to be motor oil poured on top of several of his lobster crates that were tied along his mooring slip,” the report says in part. According to the report, the contamination of oil resulted in the death of “multiple” lobsters that were stored in the crates. The report also noted that the oil did not appear to have any other environmental impact in the surrounding area. >click to read< 09:09
Buoyed by Student Lobster Permits
On the Mayhew dock in Menemsha Harbor, Otto Osmers used a wooden-handled fish pick to pry 25 pounds of skate, one by one, from a 55-gallon drum while Chris Mayhew climbed into a pair of bright orange oil-gear overalls. At seven o’clock on a Sunday morning, most students would still be asleep. But even after a late night of partying, Otto and Chris were wide awake and eager to pull their 25 lobster pots obtained on a special student lobster permit issued by the Division of Marine Fisheries. >click to read<16:19
Saying goodbye: Unicorn Leaves Her Home Port, This Time for Good
Something was missing along Dutcher Dock in Menemsha this week. Before dawn last Monday, the legendary Unicorn dragger pulled away from dock and left Menemsha Harbor for the last time. Owner Greg Mayhew and his son Todd motored the 75-foot dragger over to New Bedford, where it will likely be salvaged for parts. “It was a quiet departure,” Mr. Mayhew told the Gazette this week. “We weren’t really in the frame of mind to have a big send-off.” Read the article here 15:07
