Licensed Professionals?

It started off simple enough. We were just going to put the boat in the water, and see whether or not the engine setup needed to be adjusted.

First thing, I needed to run the cable for the sonar up to the depth finder at the helm.  A ten minute job at best.  However, the cable was about 6 feet short, and an extension had to be ordered.  So, I moved the depth finder and mount from the dash to get it out of the way until the extension arrived.

Frankie needed to pick up a new Tahoe he had purchased, and left me to unbolt the foot from the engine so he could change the impeller in the water pump.  A simple enough job, especially since he had shown me all seven bolts.  I removed all the bolts, but the foot won't budge.  As it turned out, there were eight bolts.

After removing the foot from the engine, Frankie began to change out the impeller that moves cooling water through the engine.  I tried to assist, as Frankie insisted it was a simple job. (Editor's Note: That's exactly what he said about removing the bolts in the foot.)

We remounted the foot and hitched the trailer to Frankie's old truck. That seemed to go pretty well.  However, the truck's electrical plugs didn't match the hook up on the trailer. So, I was going to follow behind the boat as we went to the Citgo gas station.  No problem.

When we got to the gas station, Frankie went to the second entrance.  A median had been recently installed, and he wasn't able to turn in to the station.  So ..... presuming that I was still behind him doing what I was asked, Frankie took off down the road.  I darted out to find the same median issue. Which ... put me going the wrong way down a one way street.  Oh fun!  And, some of the locals were waving at me. Well ... they were signaling something with their hands, anyway.

As Frankie disappeared into the horizon, I got turned around and found him happily at the next station. We put gas in the boat and headed for the landing. What could possibly go wrong now?

At the landing, I parked to the side while Frankie backed the boat down the ramp to the water.  As the boat pitched over the edge and down the ramp, the hitch broke free from the ball on the truck. Thankfully, the safety chains caught the trailer and kept the boat from rolling down into the river.  The trailer had a 2 5/8" hitch and we had placed it on a 2' ball.  Not good!

After switching out tow balls to the proper size, the boat was easily off-loaded into the water.  Life was certainly good now!

While I rechecked our safety equipment, Frankie cranked the engine to see a solid, strong stream of water pushing out of the cooling pump.  A very good sign!  I cast off the line and pushed us out into the river.  Frankie exclaimed, "Let's see what she will do," and put the engine in gear.  In gear!  In gear? The engine would not go in forward, or reverse.  We were adrift!  Not so good!

Now the wind was carrying us out into the river and toward a rock jetty.  Frankie grabbed the anchor and pitched it out toward the landing. The anchor gripped the bottom, stopping the drift.  Frankie pulled on the anchor rope and started moving us in the direction of the landing.  As we would approach the anchor, he'd retrieve it and throw it back out as far as he could toward the landing.  We were about two good throws from the dock when someone (me!) thought it would be funny to ask an older gent nearby in a kayak to pull us in.  Obviously, the suggestion was absurd.  His vessel weighed 100 lbs. and we weighed 7000 lbs.  Apparently, he thought I was serious.  I 'should' have had the heart to tell him I was only kidding.

By the time he got the anchor line and tied it around himself, we were about ten throws away from the dock.  He headed out for the dock at full paddle speed.  About 70 ft. from the boat he hit the end of the anchor line.  (Editor's Note: Remember, he tied the line around himself, and he is in a ... kayak.)  He hit the end of the line, and his momentum, coupled with our drift in the opposite direction, jerked him completely out of the kayak.  Like a Looney Tunes cartoon character.  Except not as funny.  OK ... it was a little bit funny!

He struggled and failed several times to re-enter his kayak.  At one point he yelled out, "I'm in trouble here!" and asked for me to pull him to our boat so he could re-board.  When I got him along side, I stabilized his kayak and he climbed back in eager to continue his efforts on our behalf.  Again, I should have told him I was kidding.  Now, we are about fifteen anchor throws from the dock.  Things are really going good now!

He took off again with the rope while Frankie continued to chunk the anchor.  That's about the time we hear the sirens.  Apparently, the people on shore saw this man thrashing around in the water yelling, "I'm in trouble!"  They put two and two together and got 911.  That would be four rescue vehicles, including a fire truck and a rescue boat. You'd think that while they were already on site, they would have helped us.  You'd be thinking wrong!

Mr. Kayak eventually handed the anchor line to someone on the dock, and quite soon, the boat was back on the trailer and out of the water.  Thanks for the ... help?

Because things are going sooooo well, we decided to remove the foot from the engine right there at the landing.  Sliding the foot down from the engine Frankie spotted the problem...a simple misalignment of a pin.  (Editor's Note: Frankie had help originally mounting the foot from someone who shall remain nameless.)

With the foot reassembled, we backed the boat into the water, and prior to getting unhooked from the trailer, we tested the shift mechanisms.  And it worked!!!!  I fixed it!!!  No wait ... Frankie did that.  I did the other.

Within minutes we were underway.  And the engine ran great.  However, as we powered up, we saw that the engine needed to be moved up about eight inches.  And even though the engine was dragging in the water as if we were pulling a skier, the engine had lots of power.  That's what we needed to see.  So, it was back to the landing.

Frankie backed the trailer down the ramp and loaded the boat. That's when I heard the big bang and popping sound. (Editor's Note: This time I actually had nothing to do with this particular issue.)  It is my understanding that the drive shaft lying on the pavement is a bad thing.  However, Frankie bought a new Tahoe today, and that's a good thing.  About the same time we got the boat on the trailer and out on the water with his new Tahoe, the towing company was there to haul the senior truck back to the shop.

The next morning I discovered the full extent of my boat trailering expertise.  I said it was on the trailer.  I said nothing about it being on straight.  In fact, it is this exact angle that assists in rain water draining most efficiently from the starboard scupper. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Now let me answer the most obvious questions.

1. No.  There was no alcohol involved.
2. Yes.  It is amazing that we have lived as long as we have without a crippling injury.
3. No.  You should not try these things at home.  Frankie and I are trained, licensed professionals.
4. Yes.  It is an embarrassment to the USCG that Frankie and I are licensed professionals.

(Editor's Note: After we get finished with this vessel, we will be free to work on other people's boats. Please form an orderly line.)

Relocating Pots

While Josiah and AnnahBelle were at soccer practice tonight, Sarah and I pulled pots and began the process of relocating them to the harbor.   We set pots out around the south end of the battery down to the Coast Guard station.  This will put us closer to the boat landing and to the Charleston Crab House.  With the bigger boat there will be a bigger fuel bill so distance is critical.

The harbor is bigger, salty water.  However lately we have been finding the most crab in the shallow back waters.  Our target is to start supplying the Charleston Crab House in May.  The SCKs have two weeks to find enough crabs in the harbor to fulfill our quota.

We did have a pretty good catch!
16 claws weighing a total of 3 lbs. 11 oz.

Sarah pulled every pot herself.  She did a great job.  And she caught something special ... a female stone crab with eggs.  The orange is a sponge sack where she keeps her eggs.

As the water warms, now nearly 70F, we are starting to catch some on the pig's feet, and one claw was particularly big.... as big as a little girl's hand.

Loaded and Cranked

Yesterday, we had a gang of folks helping to get the boat loaded on the new trailer, as well as getting engines swapped and rigged.  And, we needed the help.  The plan was to have a crane on site to make the transfer.  However, a Lull was the only piece of equipment available. A Lull is an all-terrain forklift with an extending boom, and articulating forks.

Alyssa, Frankie's eldest child, climbed aboard to lap the strap over the rigging.

Frankie gently lifted the bow of the boat off the cribbing (blocks of wood stacked to support the weight). The bow had to be lifted high enough to allow me to back the trailer beneath the bow, but, not so high as to rock the stern off of the aft supports and cribbing.


Once the trailer was far enough beneath the boat to support the weight of the front half of the boat, Frankie rigged the stern to be lifted.  While Carl, yet another Frankie relative, cranked the bow up to the trailer's pulpit.

And voila!!  Actually three hours later.  'Clawd' is re-trailered.

Frankie exchanged engines, hooked up the electrical, rigged the hydraulic steering, attached the fuel lines,  replaced the oil reservoir, and drained the old gas out of the fuel tank.  I put up ... two lights in the pilot house.  And, I am ashamed to say, Alyssa had to help me do that! At present my major talent in this project is running to the store to get Frankie a soda.

New Boat - by Sarah

                                                                         Started 4/12/10
We got a new boat!!!!!  And it's huge.  A 28 footer with and under-door-deck.  I think we're good.  It's bottom painted and we named it  "Clawed".  We've got some more work to do. We've got to put the new engine on, replace the floor and a good bit more.


                  A few days later
Daddy bought a 9000 lb. trailer today to carry the boat.

Mr. Frankie is taking the old engine off and going to put the new engine on with a big crane.

And tomorrow Mr. Frankie and Daddy are going to pick up the boat with the crane and put it on the trailer.

Capt. Daddy says"It will take 3 weeks until it's ready".

Thank you.
Sarah                                                                                  

.38 Special

The girls (Sarah, left and Annah Belle, right) went to New Bern, NC with me yesterday to paint the bottom of the boat.  And, they actually got some of the paint on the boat.  We used a copper based ablative paint which is design to wear off gradually as the boat moves through the water.  Kinda like soap.  This makes it hard for mollusks, sea grasses, and barnacles to stick to the hull.

Josiah and I went out to check traps after church today.  Last time we were out, the crabs had moved on us.  The question was did they go offshore, or inland? Of course, Capt. Dad, in his vast experience as a crabber, decided to move the traps inland, and ... jack pot! We caught 38 stone crabs. Of course, Capt. Dad is also hoping you don't remember that he didn't have the option of chasing them offshore because our boat is too small. Details! Details!



Many of the crabs were much larger than we had been catching prior. Maybe the big ones had been inland the entire time.  We'll find out as our research year wraps around to the season in 2011.

We are hoping the new, bigger boat will be ready the first of May. Then the entire team, including Jas, the brainless border collie, can all be aboard.  Until then we are collecting data the best we can and practicing our craft. 

One special treat we saw today was a stone crab regenerating his claw. We should see many more of these in the latter portion of the season (October / November) as the claws we are harvesting now begin to re-grow.

Josiah harvested two claws from the harbor pots and two claws from the Folly Island pots. These will be cooked, cracked and eaten to see how the meat is filling out the shell. "It's a tough job, but we do it for the love of science."

Slow Going. Really Slow.

Yesterday, we pulled traps at the low end of a spring tide, and made several observations.  One observation was no stone crabs.  When I say no, I actually should say only two in eleven traps.  Either the spring tide has them 'off' or they have moved either offshore or deeper inland.  So, we moved three of the traps closest to the ocean and reset them further inland. We caught one legal size male and a small guy with no claws.  Stone crabs can survive and feed with no claws but they are defenseless.  So, the kids decided to put him back in the trap so he would be safe from the red-fish and other predators.  He will have plenty to eat inside of the trap. And he will need plenty of energy to regenerate two new claws.  An interesting aside of the SCKs collective concern for his well-being is that we will get to watch as his claws begin to reform.

We continued to catch spider crabs, more this trip than ever before.  And, no mollusks after having hundreds per trap last week.

It took the SCK almost 4 hours to work 11 traps.  To offer some form of reference,  I use to pull and work 65-80 in that same length of time.  Soooo ..... the realization has set in ...... this venture will NOT be for profit.  Well, when I say no profit,  I should actually say that  the people I buy traps from will profit.  The folks I buy bait from will profit.  The gas station will profit.  But Capt. Dad .... he's gonna suck some serious wind!  Conclusion: We're just going to have fun!

I am still trying to get the SCKs organized as a team,  to hook the buoys,  teach them to handle the crabs,  and how not to get their feet tangled up in the ropes.  As we moved down the line of traps, I noticed that AnnahBelle was moving slower and slower.  During a break between traps I looked down and she had seven, like in the number '7,' spider crabs wrapped up in her shirt like an apron.  She was going to keep them for pets.  Yep, this is going to cost  Capt. Dad a small fortune.  But we will have fun building lots of memories!

Editors Note:  Spider Crabs are not suitable as pets.  At least not in my house!

"Floaters"-by Sarah ( age 8 )

Have you ever wondered what floaters are?  Well, I've got good news.  A floater happens after a crab has puffed itself with water.  Well, you see the crab says to himself, "Hum, I'm think'in I need a bigger shell."   So, he peals his shell off  (these crabs are called 'pealers' ) and puffs up his new, soft shell with water.  Kinda like a Puffer Fish, but the crab can't unpuff.  So, when his shell hardens, he looks big but only has a little meat inside of the big claws.


A few days ago we caught 10 claws.  They were all floaters, so they only had a little bit of meat, but I heard they were good.  I didn't eat any because I don't like crab.

When we cooked the claws in hot water they floated because there was a lot of shell and a little bit of meat and a yellow colored gel that was turning into meat.

Daddy says we are going to wait another month before we start selling claws so that they will be full of meat.

P.S.  The SCDNR people want to come and get on are new boat.  We named the boat 'Clawd' .