What, No Lobsters in Maine?

[venture]

Just to change to change the winter's pace, and continue my search for a new offshore boat, I found myself in Booth Bay Harbor Maine this weekend. Never been there before but heard it was beautiful......and it was. Nice boat too.

I had planned to take my girl friend out for one of those famous Maine Lobsters that the "Booth Bay Harbor Maine" boasts about. I was talking about it to her all day, and couldn't wait myself. Well wouldn't you know it. Not one local resturant had lobsters....even the local seafood restaurant had no lobster.....nor the local steak house....nor the pub. All said the same thing...."no Lobsters till summa".......all except for the one local Chineese restaurant where the guy was running a lobster special for $12.99 and the place was packed. Not exactly the kind of atmosphere you'd expect to eat your lobster while "Down East" in Maine, but the only place in town with the lobsters. Don't think anyone cared if the lobsters were from Maine or not......they just seemed happy to eat lobsters while in Maine.

I just came back from Hong Kong a week ago, where they are also selling tons of "Maine" Lobsters......in every fine restaurant. Perhaps there is something to this. Perhaps it is for very similar reasons that we've lost our entire economy to Asia. Funny thing is, is that WE just don't get it.

Howie

[gilly09]

Many of the guys that lobster here in maine do so during the summer months only. When they move into the shallows to spawn.

During the winter months the lobstah's head for deeper water and it requires the lobsterman to fish off-shore. Often close to 40 miles out. Which in turn requires several days away from the mainland.

Mother nature can be harsh in the winter months, let alone 40 miles from shore. (#$119)

tough industry. but when they come in-shore to mate and shed in the summer, every tom dick and harry has traps out. especially folks like teachers, ski-slope employee's. Makes for a great supplimental income in the summer months. :) :)

I found a dead body striper fishing a few years back. :eek: The guy was covered in lobsters. I haven't eaten one since.........nasty little sob's.

[uglychild]

I spend A LOT of time in Boothbay both in the summah and wintah. The town rolls up the red carpet in the winter and there are only a few establishments left open.

Gilly's right; historically the only folks in that area that were able to Lobster in the winter (Dec - Mar, I think) were the Monhegan Island residents. They are already 13 miles off the coast to start with.

What type of boat did you see and where did you see it?

UC

[mike kelly]

Ugly, I'm just around the corner in south bristol during the summer, love to grab a few beers at lobby's and share notes on the Damariscotta sometime. I know there's alot more fish in there than i've found so far...

[scruffy_fish]

Many years ago (more than I care to remember) my wife and I took our honeymoon in Nova Scotia. One of the reasons for our selection was we both love lobster and camping.

Back then, no one had lobster on the menu or at the local market. The only way we were able to enjoy lobster was to be at the docks when the boats came in and purchase them before they were created and shipped to restaurants in the US. Who would have thought a place known for its lobster would export the entire harvest.

[venture]

Hey.....read my post again because you guys don't get it. I'm addressing a much bigger issue here. Here's a place (Booth Bay) known for lobsters yet none available....except for one little local chineese restaurant selling a lobster special, who was packed with customers. The other local guys just have excuses instead of lobsters....to cold.....no lobsters......wait till "summa"......blah blah blah.

But this little Chineese restaurant had all the lobsters you could want....and all the customers too. The guy proudly displayed his Lobster special sign at $12.99... And non of his competitors even cared.

Now the Unions had excuses and why the workers shouldn't do this and that. The "American Work Ethic" has been so filled with every excuse in the world, that guess what........Asia has taken over. Asia has the fastest growing econemy in the world......not the USA.

And they also sell "Maine" Lobsters year round in Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea, China, and everywhere else on the Asian Rim. You will not hear about winter there, or any other excuse. They just get them. But ask any local restaurant in Booth Bay Harbour and they will give you their excuse........except for that little Chineese restaurant. He will tell you that he's got all the "Maine Lobsters" you want at a $12.99 special.

So when we here in the USA talk about the Asians "TAKING" our business away....we can only blame ourselves. We just handed most of our economy over to them on a platter because we just don't want to "think" or "work". Hey, those restaurants in Booth Bay could have gotten Lobsters just like everyone else including the local Booth Bay Chineese restaurant, but they were LAZY and rather give their customers an excuse....... Kapish!

You should have seen the croud at the Chineese Restaurant in Booth Bay Maine....... Imagine....the Chineese Restaurant was the most crouded place in that sleepy Down East Harbour because he has the right attitude.

Howie

[clife]

Howie what you fail to recognize is that the locals are to smart to eat the Massachusetts lobsters that are being shipped in to the Chinese restaurant. :-% There are two sides to every story, the impression and the real story.

The same goes for the overseas markets. The cold-water lobsters taste best and have less mercury.

I guess the more tourists eat the less they care. (#$119)

[scruffy_fish]

Venture,
You missed my point. The reason the Lobsters weren’t available is they made more money by shipping them out then they would have to sell locally. Most residents along the sea coast of Nova Scotia made their living Lobstering and have all they wanted. No economic value for local sales..

[uglychild]

Nope, you got it wrong.......

Every year in Boothbay there is a different handful of places that try and stay open all year; every year the majority of them take a bath. I know this because I'm there all the time and know most of the owners. The economy in that area during the winter is driven entirely by locals, not the occassional tourist like yourself. The Chinese place (it's called China by the sea, and is very good) attracts enough local business because locals like chinese food, not because they want a lobster. Anyone that wants a lobster heads to the co-op and buys them, and cooks them at home. This had nothing to do with the work ethic or Americans or specifically the Boothbay Harbor natives (who work as hard as anyone).

Sorry to ruin your diatribe but jeezus, lighten up on the good ol' USA.

[venture]

Glad to see we have some some "in depth" differences of oppinions here. But here is the proof. We have lost our manufacturing economy to Asia because of complacency and the American ethics of "entitlement", while the Asian countries have aggressively gained control and are selling directly to our consumers through Walmart and the other huge retail corporations. I know first hand how this is done and I am involved with it daily.

Instead of looking at each sale as a profit center, we must look at the whole picture which is satisfaction among our customers. Some items you win....and some items you loose, but every item is aimed at growing the business and gaining a bigger market control. Every sale does not have to generate a profit....that is, unless you feel as if every sale you make is conditional to making money. With that narrow a vision....you will not win.

Now in Booth Bay for instance, the Chineese restaurant was packed. Locals as well as the few tourists were all eating there while the local steak houses and pubs were sucking wind.....and crying about business. They should be using this time to build up there following at the same time bringing in new customers even at the expense of breaking even. Remember, when you order a lobster special at the Chineese place, you will also order a glass or two of wine, perhaps an egg roll or two, and who knows.....perhaps not even the lobster.

We can all find reasons for failing......we've done that always. It makes our failing much easier to take. But the proof is in our trade deficite....which has been growing at a steady rate for the past 20 years. When are we going to learn.

Hey, I just came back from China a month ago where my girl friend asked one of the factory workers how long they work each week. They told her that they usually work 6 days a week and average at least 10 - 12 hours per day. They were a very confused with her reaction, which was that she showed them "pity". They responded by explaining to her that the work needed to be finished.....period, and were proud to do a great job. Even the factory workers in Asia look at the big picture. Our factories were filled with "entitled" employees that now are out of work because of their own inability to see that they were lazy.

Too lazy to even go out and import some "Maine" Lobsters from Mass, and make their customers happy....... But not the guy with the Asian culture. He was not lazy, thus is enjoying a growing business with no whinning about the winter. Can't wait to see what he will do once the summa comes and he has to compete with the local restaurants filled with Maine Lobsters. He'll definately come up with something.

Howie

[haguebrook]

I found a dead body striper fishing a few years back. :eek: The guy was covered in lobsters. I haven't eaten one since.........nasty little sob's.

Lobsters clinging to a dead body???

With apologies to Tim Sample, "Considering the economy and the price of lobster, I'd say set him again!" :rolleyes:

[clife]

Howie,
I think you need to thank the labor unions for brainwashing their ants.

Down with the man, I'm entitled to $22.50/hr to place the ends on light bulbs.

[venture]

Hey, thanks for the conversations. I learned something as I read your replies, especially "Uglychild". Perhaps I was projecting what I already had seen time and time again on to the Boothbay Businesses. For this, I thank you for reminding me. And I love "the good ole USA" and do not want to continually see us not taking responsibility for our actions and ethics. And I did see a great boat up there.......a sweet 38 Duffy single engine diesel. They build great hulls up there as well as finishing boats with superb Down East craftsmanship.

Howie