By Nancy Dorrans
Yep, life’s good here… Especially in the sweet short summertime on Casco Bay. We got lobsta, lots o’breweries, corn on the cob, barges, eagles, the islands, eiders, fisherman, harbor seals, kayaks, gulls, sea dogs, fishin’ boats, an occasional shark, a few whales… And on a little spot of land not far from Cousins Island called Whaleboat Island is where this caper occurred…
According to Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT), Whaleboat Island is the largest wild island in Casco Bay:
“A grassy meadow and dense shrub land separate wind-ravaged spruce forest at either end of the island. The island’s uplands are bordered by cobble beaches, fringing salt marsh, ledges, and dramatic cliffs. There are no trails on the island, but hikers can follow the rocky shoreline during low tide. The island’s former owners protected Whaleboat through the donation of two conservation easements. In 2002, they sold the island to MCHT to ensure it would remain an undeveloped island and be open to the public in perpetuity. Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) was able to purchase the entire 122-acre island thanks to generous donations from area residents and support from the state’s Land for Maine’s Future program.”
Labor Day Lobster Caper of 2012
The legendary Lobster Caper took place on Whaleboat a dozen years ago. On a Friday night before Labor Day in 2012, I found myself sipping a beer at a Maine Outdoor Adventure Club (www.MOAC.org) happy hour on Commercial Street.
With summer fleeting, I had a dream: to paddle out to an island, cook lobster over a fire, star gaze and camp overnight. My friends Bill, Lynn, Sue, and Dan agreed it was a great idea, and we decided to make it happen!
We all had ocean kayaks, tents and the essential camping supplies. Bill volunteered to bring the potatoes.. Sue could make a salad. Dan would bring the corn. Lynn said she would get the lobsters. I’d bring the wine, chocolate, and the pot to cook the lobsters. The scene was set for the perfect summer island adventure on Whaleboat Island in Casco Bay.
On Sunday morning, we woke up to rain, which caused us to delay our adventure by about an hour. It was just a passing shower, and the forecast predicted clearing skies by mid-afternoon. We met at Sandy Point Beach on Cousin’s Island and started unloading our boats and gear.
It was drizzling, and Lynn was running late. When she arrived, we all helped get her gear and boat down to the beach. She handed me the lobsters, and I counted them.
“Lynn, there are only four lobsters,” I said.
“I told him five!” she replied.
“Maybe he sold you five pounds?” I suggested.
Not to worry—we would share.
Chance Encounter
Two of the lobsters traveled with Dan and I carried the other two in a mesh bag tied to the back of my kayak. As we paddled out around Cousin’s Island towards Whaleboat, the clouds were lifting and we noticed a fisherman hauling lobster traps. Lynn and I had the same idea. Bill blew his whistle and we got the young man’s attention. We asked if we could buy another lobster directly from his boat. He said, “Sure, five dollars.”
Lynn had $10 cash in her hatch. I helped retrieve it, and she bought two! Now we had extra!
I asked him if it was okay to keep the lobsters in the hatch or did they need to be in the water. He asked how far we were going. I pointed to Whaleboat Island and he assured us they would be fine in the hatch till then.
Now I had four lobsters in the mesh bag at my feet.
Landing on Whaleboat Island
We landed in a cove on the far side of the island and pulled up the boats up on a sandy beach and began to unload. I untied the mesh bag with the four lobsters in it and left it in the water weighted down with my paddle.
I should have left them in the boat.
When I returned to collect the rest of my gear, I noticed that the bag of four lobsters was down to one. Panicked, I screamed and ran into the cove. The image of one banded lobster scrambling away with its claws held high is etched in my mind. Dan jumped into his boat to search for the other two, but it was no use—they had escaped. We were down to four. No matter—we would share.
I told a client, who is also a fisherman, my story once. He said, “Well… not the first I’ve heard of it. I have found lobsters in my traps with bands on their claws… Eh, up. Now they wouldn’t stahh-vah… Might lose a fight, but they won’t go hungry. You see… they don’t eat with those big claws… ”
I wonder if those two outlaws are still at large.
Our adventure ended up being both very delicious and memorable. The sun came out and then the stars.. So yep, life’s been good to me so far, hee-ah, on Casco Bay.
MOAC
The Maine Outdoor Adventure Club, founded in 1989, is an all-volunteer social organization that provides a platform for its members to organize and participate in year-round outdoor adventures. The club meets the first Wednesday of each month at the Allen Avenue UU Church in Portland, Maine. Newcomers are welcome to join us anytime. The next meeting is Wednesday, August 7th, 6:30 p.m. for socializing and 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for the meeting.
In August, Kayla Bickerman-Martens, membership manager of the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) discusses who MITA is and how it came into being. She will also share information about the trail, how to become a member, and how to make the most of your membership using the App and the Guide. The Maine Island Trail Association, founded in 1988, is a border-to-border (New Hampshire/Canada) water trail along the coast of Maine. Currently comprised of 258 sites that are available for public day use and/or overnight use. Each season, we engage with upwards of 1,000 volunteers and over 6,000 members who help us maintain these incredible island ecosystems and keep them healthy and thriving.
