Category: Fishermen Profiles

Mobile Net Reel

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

When picking up bait at the State Fish Pier for our lobstermen this guy pulls up with a mobile gas powered net reel.  Back in the day when we had draggers taking out at our dock the process of moving different types of nets on and off boats was a long arduous task. You needed a ton of space to stretch the net out and lift section by section of the net onto trucks.  It took a while.  Now with this type of set up you can do the work in one tenth of the space.

This rig is pretty slick.  It is built on a trailer and there is a hydraulic tank powered by a honda generator which turns the drum.  Once the net is loaded on the trailer it can be transported wherever it needs to go.  Just another innovation allowing the fishery to do more with less space.

Video coming at 1PM

Mobile Net Reel, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

The Stern Of The Boat Lines Up With The Mobile Net Reel
The Stern Of The Boat Lines Up With The Mobile Net Reel
The net under the green tarp will transfer to the mobile net reel
The net under the green tarp will transfer to the mobile net reel
Ready for transfer
Ready for transfer
The generator is fired up
The generator is fired up

Lobsterman Mark Ring Silhouette and Rainbow On The State Fish Pier

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Mark Ring Silhouette and Rainbow On The State Fish Pier, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

Chickity Check It- Phil Cusumano Art Show

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

click this picture to view Phil Cusumanos site
click this picture to view Phil Cusumano's site

From Phil Cusumano-

A marine artist and former commercial fisherman, Phil Cusumano paints scenes of local Gloucester/Cape Ann, Massachusetts fishermen, their Gloucester fishing boats and activities from the early nineteen fifties to the present day.  His maritime and naval art includes seascapes and scenes from the N. Atlantic coastline as well as of tall ships and schooners.  Available for sale are these original maritime oils, watercolors and prints by this internationally known artist Fillipo a.k.a. Captain Phil Cusumano.

The Staff of the Kensington Stobart Gallery invites you to attend the opening reception and exhibit honoring Gloucester Artist Phil Cusumano

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Exhibit ongoing from July 9, 2009 through August 6, 2009

Kensington Stobart Gallery

at the Hawthorne Hotel, On the common

Salem, Massachusetts01970

Click the picture to check out more of Phils work
Click the picture to check out more of Phil's work
Phil Cusumano Art
Phil Cusumano Art

Shawn? Is That You? Chickity Check It-Thunder Ranch Photos

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Our old pal Shawn Cromwell who lobstered for us until moving out to Arizona or Nevada (some place out west)  is now a cowboy??????

Here’s Shawn from his crazy days fishing out of Gloucester-

Shawn Cromwells Pamela And Patricia
Shawn Cromwell's Pamela And Patricia

and look at him now-

Shawn Cromwell Now
Shawn Cromwell Now

You can check out what Shawn is up to now by clicking this text

Salvy Benson Greasy Pole Interview- Thanks To Kitt Cox

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Thanks to Kitt Cox for providing this interview and thanks to Mike Lindberg for converting it to a file suitable for uploading here.

click the picture to view the video
click the picture to view the video

Fishermen Tattoo Series- Hotty’s Man At The Wheel Tat

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro
For more from the GMG  Fishermen Tattoo Series click this text
Fishermen Tattoo Series- Hotty’s Man At The Wheel Tat, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

Let Er Go, The Plan B Seine Boat

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

The Let Er Go is the seine boat for the Plan B.  The seine boat is loaded up on the stern of the Plan B through the slot where the guy in the orange shirt is standing.  When they approach the school of herring the Plan B will lower the Let Er Go into the water.  The Let Er Go will set the seine in a circle around the school as quickly as possible.  A seine net creates a cylinder in the water around the school.  Then the net is pursed up at the bottom and makes the net from a cylinder into a purse (hopefully with the fish caught inside).

Let Er Go, The Plan B Seine Boat, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

Automatic Gillnet Seetting Machine On Mike Leary’s Lori B

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

This highly innovative gillnet setting machine aboard the Lori B saves the work of two men.  It is built on a frame with rollers and a swivel so it can redirect the nets from pens on either side of the boat.   There is also a safety feature in which bungee cords will allow tension to save your arm from getting sucked into the machine if you get hung up on the net.

Video demonstration at 8AM

Automatic Gillnet Seetting Machine On Mike Leary’s Lori B, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

Automatic Gillnet Setting Machine On Mike Leary’s Lori B

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Here is the automatic gillnet setting machine on Mike Leary’s Lori B.  Video of it in operation at 8AM

Automatic Gillnet Seetting Machine On Mike Leary’s Lori B, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

Walking The Plank Onto The Plan B

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Obviously this guy has way more balls than me.  He just nonchalantly placed this somewhat narrow plank from the pier to the roof of the boat and proceeded to walk across carrying a box full of heavy parts about 25 feet up in the air.  My knees would be knocking and I’d be crying for momma before I’d walk across, lol.

Stoga and State Of Art Gillnet Hauler Made By Spencer Carter

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Behind Stoga is a high tech gillnet hauler.  It is made by a company in the UK named Spencer Carter.  It is the first of it’s kind that I’ve seen in Gloucester.   Mike Leary, the boat’s owner tells me that there are only 3 moving parts to this gillnet hauler as opposed to 175 on the traditional haulers used by the Gloucester fleet.  There was a guy who worked on the traditional gillnet haulers out of New Bedford but Mike also tells me he closed up shop.

Here is the Spencer Carter Website

Stoga and State Of Art Gillnet Hauler Made By Spencer Carter, originally uploaded by captjoe06.


Mike Leary’s Dog Mako Gets His Nuts Lopped Off

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Poor Mako!

Mike Leary’s Dog Mako Gets His Nuts Lopped Off, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

Beautiful Industry – Block

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

 This is one of many blocks aboard the Plan B, a former tuna seiner that is being converted to a herring seiner by the folks at Cape Seafood on the State Fish Pier.  The reason they are converting the Plan B is because the boat had seine history for herring.  During summer area closures which restrict the Cape Seafoods Mid-Water Trawling herring boats from fishing for herring, seine boats are allowed to fish for them.   So now they will still be able to catch and provide fresh lobster bait rather than rely on costly frozen lobster bait for their customers.

Beautiful Industry – Block, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

 

Stoga Showcases Automatic Gillnet Setting Machine

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Mike Leary’s Lori B is outfitted with this fishing industry innovation

Stoga Shows Automatic Gillnet Setting Machine

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Here, Stoga showcases a new fishing industry innovation for gillnetters aboard Mike Leary’s Lori B.  This hydraulic net setter eliminates the jobs of two men for setting the net back out on gillnetters.  The machine automatically spreads the net and sets it with the hydraulic motor (highlighted with the yellow arrow).  It glides back and forth to set nets from either side of the boat, port or starboard by gliding along the rails (highlighted by the black arrows).

Video tomorrow at 1PM

Stoga Shows Automatic Gillnet Setting Machine, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

Setting Lobster Gear With Frankie and Dave Aboard The Lady J Video

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Dave Jewell Trains Frankie In The Art Of Setting A Lobster Trawl

Click The Picture To View The Video

Rudy!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Rudy left last night to go to Alaska for the salmon season.   He is from Honduras and been fishing out of Gloucester for over ten years.  For as long as he has been in the US he still hasn’t learned much English but is still one of the funniest guys you’d ever meet.  Video with Rudy tomorrow.

Rudy!, originally uploaded by captjoe06.