Saturday May 7th 2016

Today started in the clouds. The area was fogged in when I got up this morning, but lifted some before I headed inland at 9AM. It stayed cloudy, drizzly and raw all day. At least it didn’t rain hard while I was driving.

When I got back to the RV this evening I took today’s walk on the canal service road. Being a weekend day the canal had a little more activity despite the weather. I saw a couple of sailboats and a few other pleasure craft. One of the sailboats was a racing boat with its sail deployed. Usually, sailboats have there sails since they must transit the canal under power. It seems like an odd time of year for a sailboat race.

Racing sailboat coming under the Bourne bridge.

Another view of the USA 106 sailboat

It was low tide during this walk. This means more of the rock sides of the canal are exposed. In the exposed rocks are a number of abandon or lost crab traps. These traps are used by people for recreational crab or lobster fishing. A properly deployed trap is still under water at low tide. The lost or abandon ones have been shifted by the canal currents and are at odd angles in the rocks above the low tide line. Another sign they are abandon is the heavy layer of slimy sea grass and other ocean growths.

Crab trap exposed at low tide.

Crab trap moved out of the water by wave action over the winter.

Many of the seasonal residents of the campground have crab traps deployed. They tend them at low tide with long poles to reach the ropes that anchor them to the rocks along the bank. I’ve watched many a trap be pulled in, but have never seen anyone remove a catch. From the number of traps lost and the apparent limited success, I think this may be an expensive hobby. Perhaps they are more successful at other times of the year.