Maine Lobster Boat: History of an Iconic Fishing Vessel

by Daniel Sheldon Lee

The modern lobster boat has evolved slowly over decades to become the craft it is seaworthy, strong, fast, and trusted implicitly by the lobstermen and women to get the job done and get them home, each and every time, through the most terrifying--and sometimes life-threatening--conditions that the sea can dish up. “Where do lobster boats come from?” “What is the origin of their design?” “Who builds them?” “How do they work?” The story of the Maine lobster boat needs to be told--before the storied history of this iconic American craft slips away forever into the past, on the heels of what may be the last surviving traditional lobster boat builders. Filled with colorful characters, old maritime tales, and fascinating details, this a definitive look at the origins and lore of Maine's most ubiquitous vessel.

508 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2022

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives an insightful look into the history of Maine lobster boats by examining the personal histories and boat-building philosophies of the men who designed and built them. The book functions as a sort of encyclopedia of lobster boat design of the last 140 years, or so. If one doesn't have the chance to meet the men detailed in this book, this will get you pretty close.

I would have preferred that Mr. Lee had discussed the Lash Brothers in detail, which I think they deserve, more than the passing mention they received. However, I realize that there were many more builders in Maine over the years than he could possibly have had the time or space to cover. After all, this book is more about looking at the most influential designers and builders of lobster boats, especially the power boats.

I found the chapters on Ernest Libby, Jr., Calvin Beal, Jr., Peter Kass, and the Stanleys especially insightful. And the chapter on Glenn Holland was quite memorable. Readers will enjoy Glenn's wit, for sure.

If the lobster boats of Maine interest you, check out this book!

[Jim Gise · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertainingly deep dive into the “pick-up truck of the sea” and the families that specialized in their wooden construction despite the inevitable encroachment by fiberglass boats on their livelihoods. How else would I know that a built-down hull is harder to build but more seaworthy and a skeg hull is faster but prone to becoming loose due to working of the keel-bolts?