Big Splash of a Landing !!!

A little help from Liberty !!!

As we continue to search for the crabs in the inland back waters,  the kids repeat lines from Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch. Complete with all the bleeps! Sarah slams her fist and exclaims, "I want the crab count and I want it now!" A regular Jr. Capt Sig. Never a dull moment with this gang.

And a special thanks to Clyde Umphlette of Liberty Marine ( a link to Liberty's website is in the Friends Section of the sidebar ). He met us in the river to tune the engine. I jumped into Clyde's boat and he hopped in ours. Josiah drove while Clyde did his magic. Now the engine runs GREAT !!!  After we switched back, Josiah said, "Dad, Mr. Clyde trusted me to drive while he worked." "Yes he did son. He sure did."  Josiah is a good 'hand' (deckhand), he has more time at the helm than most adults, he can read the water, and understands the rules of the road. 

Clyde's help was sorely needed because a good steady idle is important while pulling pots. We approach the pot from down stream so the boat is heading directly into the current. This does a couple of things. One, the buoy will be at the end of the outstretched line so there is little chance of getting the prop entangled. Secondly, it allows the driver to move gently up the line toward the trap so that the 'striker' (the person pulling the pot) is taking up slack rather than taut line. That makes a difference after pulling a pile of pots.

I have the only 11 year old who smells like Ben Gay!

Loosing Traps / Slicing Buoys

Commercial crabbers make their living pulling pots.  They are able to retrieve them via a line tied to a buoy which floats at the surface.  Placing pots ( traps ) out of the designated traffic routes keeps the buoy out of harm's way. However with the warming weather,  recreational boaters are filling the waterways. And our buoys are getting hit.

Many boaters drive over crab buoys without fully realizing the damage that can be caused.  Getting a pot line wrapped around your propeller can mean hours of cutting globs of entangle line.  Or you could be facing a serious repair bill after the gears and seals of your engine foot are rebuilt.

Either way, the pot is lost to the bottom. As if we needed more debris along the bottom.  And the crabber has lost the cost of his trap ( typically $50 ) and the value of his catch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much does SCDNR pay the Stone Crab Kids for the research?
A: They don't pay us at all. The project lost its funding and we were asked if we would take over the last year of data collection.


Q: Does SCDNR offer any support at all?
A: Yes. But not with money or equipment. They graciously answer our many questions, identify species of by-catch, and most importantly, teach us the scientific method of accurately collecting data.


Q: What does it take to collect data?
A: Boat, engine, traps, buoys, bait, fuel, oil, general maintenance, decent weather, as well as time and muscle. Lot and lots of muscle.


Q: How often do you check the traps?
A: We use different soak times to discern different results. 3 days / 7 days / 10 days


Q: How many crabs do you catch per trap?
A: That also varies with soak time, location, and bait. Typically we will get 5 to 9 per trap.


Q: Do you catch anything else in the traps?
A: Yes, but not as much as you might suspect. Our by-catch is generally blue crab, spider crabs, dog fish, carolina hake, etc.

What just happened?

Why is Frankie smiling?
To keep from crying!

Three days from hauling the new research vessel back to Charleston, the engine seized during its final test run.  A piston ring on the #4 cylinder broke free. The light coloration of the center piston is the splattering of melted aluminum. The other cylinders and pistons are absolutely perfect. It was likely a manufacture's defect that never manifested itself because of the light use and low hours generated by the previous owner. Although losing the engine was a huge blow, I have to step back, put down the temptation to be anxious, and be grateful that this didn't happen in bad seas with a load of children aboard.

Thanks to Capt. Marty of SeaTow Morehead City NC  for getting up from the dinner table and hauling us back to the landing. 

It will take at least 2 months to secure the funds and rebuild the engine. In the meantime, the SCKs are turning inland. It is a common belief the stone crabs are not suppose to be in the warm, shallow water this time of year. However, I can no longer risk following them into the open waters. It's just too rough for our small boat. If we spend this time pulling blanks (empty traps) then we can provide scientific proof that the 'stones' are seeking saltier, cooler water. But, if we find pockets of 'stones' in the back water, that, in itself, should be of interest to SCDNR.

 When the engine is rebuilt we will resume our original strategy.

Sooooo......in the meantime, we are rising up, keeping our word to SCDNR, pressing forward, and finishing what we have started.

Claw Harvest -Video

The following is our first attempt to video aboard our current ( quite small ) boat.  Josiah is attempting to demonstrate how to harvest a stone crab claw without harming the crab.  Aside from the poor video and audio as well as his large gloves blocking the view, notice how the water is pitching us around.  We need the new boat, and we need it badly!  I should be hauling it back to Charleston the 15th or 16th of this month.  Not a moment to soon for this Captain and his pygmy crew.