Day 5 Rockland/Camden June 26, 2021

   Today we took a walking tour of Camden, ME. We had a guide who we met as the historian with our Cuba trip. He recognized us immediately. He is a fantastic guide. Yesterday they told us that the lobstering is a sustainable business. I questioned to myself how can that be? After all, now they are catching more lobsters than ever before.  Our guide today explained. First he explained how a trap worked.  That was interesting.  There is a door for the little lobsters to escape. Next, he explained how careful they are to not catch females. After all she can lay 1,000 eggs so that is a lot of lobsters. When they catch a female, they put her back very carefully so as to not knock off any eggs. Also the huge lobsters are great breeders so they don’t take them either. They could sell it for a $100 in other states. They don’t however. If the harbor police catch you, it is a fine; but if another lobster man catches you, he sinks your boat. They police each other because it means more lobsters for all. Most of the lobsters we eat are males about seven years old. They can tell by how long they are from their eye to the tail. Lobsters start breeding about age 5 so they want them to have a few years to breed.

   Kids whose dads are lobstermen start a small summer business starting about age 8, and can make $10,000 a summer. No, I have the correct number of zeros. That gives them enough money for more traps and their own boat. By the time they are ready to go to high school, they are probably making $500,000.  So as you can see, it is difficult to get kids to go to high school. They pretty much are forced to go however. So you end up with people who have PhD’s out lobstering.

  I loved the story our guide told us yesterday about high school students. I thought about our daughter Kelly. You live on an island like most lobster men do. You take a ferry over to the main land. It is 30 below zero and when you reach the main land, you walk a mile to school.  Elementary and middle school is easy because there are tons of one room school houses with maybe four kids, or they go to school virtually. You don’t have to come to the main land until high school. High school students, however, must attend in person.

    We learned numerous other facts about this most fascinating city. A fun Maine fact is on any word ending with an “r” you drop the “r” and add “ah.” So we are going to “Bah, Harbah” tomorrow.

  After our tour we went to a lobster bake. To tell the truth, I wasn’t too excited about this trip because I am not a real lobster fan. However, today changed my mind. When lobster is super fresh, Oh My it was so good.  I may even have to come back to Maine so I can go on another lobster bake. I loved the claws and even ate a few extra. This must have been the soft shell ones they spoke of yesterday because you could break the claw apart with your hands.

 More to follow,

Tom & Holly