Prince Edward Island Lobster Boats.

 Thursday 16 June

It was wonderful to have time to meet my blogging friend Marie and her husband, again. Marie suggested French River, one of her favourite spots on the island, especially in the lobster season. I can now fully understand why.  French River is one of many tiny, colourful harbours on the island for fishing fleets. 

In early May, a date is set for all the lobster boats to set their traps for the first, 2 month lobster season. At sunrise, on this date, their families line the shoreline to wish them a safe and successful season. [The second season is from August to October.]

You might like to learn more about 'the setting' by reading Marie's blog.

https://islandmusingswithmarie.blogspot.com/2022/05/back-to-sea.html

This was our first glimpse of French River. 

In the afternoon, we stopped and watched this boat return to the harbour.

After saying our hellos and catching up with one another's news, we took a short drive to the entrance to New London Bay. 

A short walk across a sand dune, had us watching boat after boat returning from hauling their lobster pots to empty them. Each boat is permitted to have up to 300 traps, in a designated area. Some areas are close to shore, others are up to a couple of kilometres offshore. A computerised plotter allows the fishermen to find their traps each day

Looking north to the Gulf of St Lawrence and the bay's entrance.

Looking across the bay's entrance. It has to be dredged quite regularly. 

Looking south, with the New London Lighthouse just popping up on the horizon.

Scene from the top of the sand dune.

We must have watched for a good hour. The boats kept appearing on the horizon and within minutes had entered the sheltered bay, turning right to moor at French River or one of several other small harbours.

I lost count of how many returned in the time we were enjoying their arrival.

The pots may have been emptied, but there still seemed to be lots to do as they returned to the harbour.

 Boat 157057.

I liked this one's name - 'Under the Weather"! I hope not too often.

'Dylan & Jordan'

Other boats.

New London Lighthouse.

The lighthouse was built in 1876 and is quite unique in that it has a tapered, wooden tower and an attached keeper's dwelling. From 1943 to 1959 the keeper was a woman.

Attached is a quote from, "thediscoverblog.com"

Maisie Adams was Prince Edward Island’s only woman lightkeeper. She operated the New London Lighthouse from 1943 to 1959, having become the lightkeeper after her husband, Claude, died of cancer at age 40. At that point, Maisie Adams was 30 years old and caring for three children between the ages of 1 and 7. She had already been taking care of the lighthouse for the final year and half of her husband’s life, due to his illness. Mrs Adams lived in a house near the lighthouse and every spring she opened the light for the season and every winter she closed it down after the fishermen had pulled their boats in for the winter.

Finally, a taste of spring at the lighthouse.

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