Conference unifix::sailing

Couple of comments: 

I would suggest not starting the engine until you are absolutely sure
you haven't wrapped any of the line to the lobster traps around your
propeller. Once you've wound a line around your propeller under power,
you'll probably have to either go swimming or hire a diver. (I wish
lobstermen weren't allowed to set traps in harbors.) On the occasions
when we've caught their lines we've tried to tie them back together
after cutting ourselves free. Traps and line are expensive, and
lobstering is a very hard way to make a living. One float usually serves
several traps. You're much less likely to snag the lines when sailing,
by the way. Observe the line from the float to the trap. Usually the
float is downwind from the trap, but if there is much of a current it
will be down current and not downwind. 

When night sailing into/out of harbor, someone stands in the bow and 
watches very, very carefully for trap floats. We either sail or motor 
as slowly as possible.

Should you go down east, note that lobstermen do it a bit differently
there. The line from the trap goes to a small float (often slime covered
and often somewhat below the surface). A line 20 to 40 feet long goes
from the small float to the main buoy. Sailing between the small float
and the main buoy usually results in snagging the line. If I were to
spend the summer on the Maine coast, I'd rig a 1/16th inch stainless
steel wire from the lower aft corner of the keel to the bottom of the
rudder skeg to reduce the probability of catching lines. 

Alan

Alan's right about Maine.  The smaller float is sometimes called a 
"toggle", and it's to keep the line off the bottom in regions of wide tide 
ranges and stronger currents.  Especially outside protected areas, if you 
see a pot buoy, assume there is a toggle, and figure out where it may be.  
I *always* sail downwind of pot buoys close at hand (or downcurrent, as
Alan points out sometimes is the operative tactic.)  You can almost always
gauge the direction of an unseen line by the handle of the buoy, which
almost necessarily points in the opposite direction. 

Note that destroying gear (as in cutting a line without retying) is
illegal, even in places pots shouldn't be sown.  While your chances of
facing the wrath of the law are slim, those of meeting the lobsterman 
(or a buddy) are greater.  And potentially more costly, depending on the
individual and his past experience with us yachtie-types. 

Many harbors have rules against setting traps in certain harbor areas.  If 
you check and find some off-limits area isn't being policed, make a noise. 
Those responsible for monitoring are often ex-lobstermen, and it typically 
takes a bright light on the subject to force compliance.  This happened 
recently in Gloucester's Inner Harbor -- it took a while to happen, but 
what a difference now!

John.

If you'd like to have some *REAL* practice at dodging lobster bouys, try 
entering Cape Porpoise, Maine.  The Cruising Guide to New England understates
the number of bouys.  And the lobstermen don't consider the narrow entrance
channel sacred, either!  You could almost walk across the harbor on the bouys
you can see, and another 10% or so are under water.

    Whats worse are the @#%^#%@$% gill (sp?) nets!   They sit just underwater
    and can be up to 1/2 mile long.  Coming back from the cape cod canal
    to Newport you always run into them between the Sakonnet and Newport
    Neck.  There is supposed to be a 50 gallon drum on each end (painted
    orange), and (so you can tell they are there), floats numbered so
    you know how far along the net you are.   The only thing you can
    do is follow the net until you reach a gap (if there is one), sail
    (for god sakes don't motor..) thru, and pray you don't get snagged.
    
    These guys are big time, and they snare thousands of pounds of fish
    a day.  Unfortunately they have taken to dropping nets right in
    the main lanes near Brenton Tower, and offshore far enough out that you
    would think was safe.  A friend taking delivery on a brand new Bristol
    32 refused delivery on his boat when the delivery captain snagged
    the prop on one by the Sakonnet.  The drums are never orange, but
    rusty grey, if they are drums at all, and the buoys are usually
    not numbered, forget seeing them at night.  Each time I take a
    different route, and each time I run into them. Arrrggghhhh!
        
    Lobster pots are minor compared to these, although after having
    a lobsterman drop his trap on my anchor once in Brenton cove right
    in front of me, I share your concern at their apparent lack of concern
    with where they put their lines and floats.
    
    Rick
                                              

    RE:.4
    	What do you have to cut yourself loose if you get snagged?
    
    	Do those large power boats have a priblem with them too?
    
    	How far down are they 2-3'? less?
    	
    	...At least the water is warm if you gotta take a plunge
    
    				___GM___

    RE: .4, .5
    
    These things use a serious wire, like 1" 1x19 strand, between the
    barrels, at the surface.  Hit one (as we did once) with your hull
    or keel and it will scare half out of your wits. Hit it with your
    turning prop, and kiss the prop good by.

    We stumbled onto our first one on our first trip into Narrangansett
    Bay, when we moved from Connecticut, just north of Point Judith.
    
    The trick is to spot one of the barrels and look like mad for the
    other one so you know where they are strung out, the floats between
    the barrels may or may not be on the surface. The depth of the wire
    I had the misfortune to get that close to ranges from, at the surface,
    to something in excess of 6'
    
    I like my seafood too, but Rick is right, sometimes it seems they
    get a kick out of making things tough for pleasure boaters.
    
    Walt 

    Sorry for the late reply, been unable to access this conference
    for a while -
    
    We've snagged pot warp on three different occasions, all in Maine
    (and for a high concentration of traps, try Muscongus bay). We've
    always succeeded in getting off without cutting the line. We have
    several acquaintances who are lobstermen, and know their feeling
    about losing gear - especially to yachties who feel free to cut
    loose.
    
    One technique which sometime works is to sail a small circle around
    the trap; the line will usually drop free at some point. We once
    had the line wedge in the crack between the rudder leading edge
    and the skeg in a C&C 35; I had to go over the side to get free
    of that one. We managed that foulup while tacking up the Fox Island
    Thorouhfare, and we dragged the pot and gear about 200 yards down
    the channel before we got free (strong tide running). Within 1/2
    hour, we heard a lobsterman come on the air saying "George, one
    of your pots is in the channel. Wuz you drunk when you were settin'
    yesterday??"
    
    There are lobstermen who delight in aggravating yachties; we were
    in Seal Harbor on Vinalhaven one morning, when one motored in shortly
    after sunrise, motored close around us about three times to make
    sure we were awake, then dropped a pot directly over our anchor.
    Or maybe we were simply in his favorite hole. It fouled our anchor,
    and we had a lovely time getting it up. Perhaps he just didn't give
    a damn; after all, he had no guarantee we wouldn't just cut his
    warp if we fouled.
    
    Ross Faneuf