Maine's gold comes from the sea: Homarus americanus, the American lobster. lobster in the local language. Nowhere else is this already impressive species found in such large numbers and with so many magnificent specimens as in the clear, cold and nutrient-rich coastal waters in the far north-east of the USA. Fishermen have been bringing them up from the dark depths for generations. Today, it is so sought after that it is shipped by plane from the pier all over the world - alive. On the menus of upmarket seafood restaurants from New York to Hong Kong, the lobster from the Gulf of Maine is the golden exclamation mark. However, it is not only the exquisite catch itself that has become famous, but also the most important "tool" of its catchers: the lobster boat.
The beginnings
Its history goes back to the beginnings of the first British colonies in North America at the start of the seventeenth century. The sea played just as important a role in supplying the settlers as it did for the natives, and the English learnt from the Mikmaq what was available for the table. However, lobster had to wait for its top position in this field - because in high society it was long disdained as the food of poor people. It was fished in narrow, flat-bottomed, double-ended rowing boats that could be used in many ways. Even in 1726, when the Boston Gazette newspaper first published a lobster boat mentioned, it was still one of those dory. Another century had to pass before the culinary rise of lobster in the still young United States accelerated its development.
The start was made with the already equipped with a spritsail pea pod (pea pod), followed by the smack, which for the first time had a saltwater tank for fishing, and the much larger friendship sloop, a good sailer with elegant lines, a mast set well forward and plenty of space behind for wooden lobster traps, floats and lines. It dominated the scene at the end of the nineteenth century. Then came the internal combustion engine. With increasing efficiency and reliability, it almost completely changed the craft in a short space of time: from the construction of boats to the way they were fished. Only the spacious cockpit of the sailing predecessors had proved so successful that it was retained when new hull shapes were experimented with.
Among the best-known new products were the manoeuvrable Hampton, the torpedo boat and the Brimstone, as fast as it was slim. In the twenties and thirties of the last century, the designs became increasingly standardised as the most tried and tested elements of the various types were combined. lobster boat was born.
The Lobster Boat: differences and similarities
However, even today, almost one hundred years later, it is still almost impossible to find two completely identical boats; the multitude of shipyards, sailing area requirements and owners' wishes continue to create differences. However, the common heritage is still clearly recognisable. Because apart from the material used for the hull - formerly wood, now GRP - there are many common features: From the foredeck, which is pulled far upwards to generate more buoyancy in heavy seas, the freeboard decreases significantly with a positive deck leap aft so that the heavy lobster traps made of steel wire mesh can be hauled back on board more easily. The wide stern offers space for stowing and stacking dozens of these traps. lobster traps. This is why the cockpit often takes up more than half the length of the boat. The deckhouse (actually more of a shelter), on the other hand, is kept small and is often open both at the rear and to one side so that the helmsman can operate the winch from there, which is used to haul in the fishing gear. A companionway leads into the bow cabin.
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Classic lobster boats are designed as semi-planing boats. The deep V at the front and the pronounced keel drop ensure course stability and reduce drift when stopped. At the transom, on the other hand, the hull bottom only has a minimal upturn of a few degrees, which increases stability and safety when working in the cockpit in swell.
The shape of the frames, on the other hand, can vary: While the traditional built-down variant features S-shaped frames with a clean transition to the keel, round or bent frames with an attached keel are now just as common. In the first case, more emphasis is placed on seaworthiness and buoyancy, in the second on speed - this is probably the biggest "question of faith" in the harbours between Bar Harbor and Kennebunkport. In both variants, the propeller and rudder are protected by a stable skeg.
Adapted for use at sea
Below deck in the engine room, most skippers rely on powerful diesel engines; powerhouses that are actually found on land under the bonnet of heavy articulated lorries and come from manufacturers such as Detroit or International. With keel tube cooling and dry exhaust, they are adapted for use at sea, either as standard from the factory or - more cheaply - in your own garage. While for decades the size of boats in the 30-foot range was between 200 and 500 hp, modern newbuilds with 800 hp in the hull have long since reached 50 feet. The reason: more and more lobsters are being taken from the sea.
What looks like overfishing is actually due to the high demand for Homarus americanus. While ten million tonnes of lobster were caught annually around 1980, the quantity was five times as large in 2018. Its value: half a billion dollars. However, the stocks not only appear to be defying all catch records, they are actually growing. The fact that the industry is nevertheless facing the worst storm in its history is due to the international economic war launched by President Trump. Europe and the Far East responded to US punitive tariffs on steel and car imports with counter-tariffs - including on American lobster. The coronavirus pandemic then caused the remaining domestic market to collapse almost completely.
Is climate change to blame for the boom in the lobster population?
The last few years have also meant new hope for Maine's most dangerous job, but the next danger could already be on the horizon. Marine biologists suspect that the current boom in the lobster population is due to rising water temperatures as a result of climate change. If this trend is not halted, it is feared that it will only be a matter of time before the animals become too warm and turn their backs on the Gulf of Maine. Fishing areas further north would be a challenge even for the large lobster boats from Maine can no longer be reached.
Whatever the future may hold, the legacy of the lobster boats seems assured one way or another: Hard facts such as seaworthiness, robustness and reliability, coupled with a good dash of romance, have made them a trademark. Together with the synonym Down East, which refers to the coastal region of Maine and is known as the down east style stands for the same character and the same qualities lobster boat has also been used by the pleasure craft industry for decades.
Some manufacturers stick to the original, with a few exceptions. With their models - whose type is respectfully called Man-o-war, i.e. warship - you could easily go lobster fishing. Others use the label to sell a feeling: the longing for freedom, the dream of adventure. And why not? After all, dreams are there to be realised.
