Cap'n Ric wrote:
I'm leaving for a six week trip to Maine from Baltimore, MD on June 24th.
I'll primarily be in and around Penobscot Bay for the majority of the trip
going nonstop from the Cape Cod Canal to Tenants Harbor, ME. My question
is: Just how bad are the lobster floats / toggles in Maine? Here in the
Chesapeake Bay we have a lot of crab pots sometimes to the point of where
you have to avoid an area because the pots are so thick.

I've heard people complain about pots in the Chesapeake, but I never
saw anything remotely close to what you'll see in Maine. Casco Bay
and the Midcoast are bad, but at least they don't have the toggles.
For those who have never seen them, toggles are a second float on a
line 12-20 feet long attached to the pot. Since the pots are often
12-20 feet apart, you can encounter areas that are effectively
unpassible, especially if you are going across the current. Since the
toggles usually line up with the current, this becomes a factor.

You should assume that you'll snag one at some point, so make sure you
have appropriate instruments of destruction, such as a strong boat
hook that you can tape a knife to, etc. Before I head there again I'm
getting one of these:
http://www.captnhooksolutions.com/index.html

I haven't been to Pennobscot bay in a few years, but there were a few
areas that were extremely crowded with pots. Tenant's Harbor, Muscle
Ridge, the East Bay, parts of Merchant's Row come to mind. I remember
leaving McGlathery's Island in foul weather and snagging one in the
East Bay. We limped back to the cove where a friend managed to tease
the line off. Later we got an email that someone a week later did the
same thing, but managed to break the coupling on the shaft, ruining
the whole day (and most of the week).

That said, we have a catamaran, which doubles the problem, though
sometimes we power on just one engine. We haven't hesitated to to go
anywhere, and haven't had a serious problem. With experience, a good
lookout and hand on the shifter, you can reduce the odds of a disaster.



I'm a licensed captain with 45 years of sailing experience and thousands of
hours offshore and coastal sailing. I've got a 2003 Beneteau 473 with
virtually every known piece of navigation and communications gear. Even so,
I'm planning to do no sailing at night or in the fog while within any bays
or near coastal waters of Maine. Any personal experiences will be greatly
appreciated.

We do little night sailing, but if you won't sail in fog, you'll have
a bit of trouble getting around.

BTW, if you love hanging out in amongst scenic islands, check out
Merchant's Row.