warning to massachussetts divers in rockport

[Rick L]

I went lobster diving in rockport ma. last week!
when we where getting dressed two police in one of there own
cars. Came up to us and said we would be ticketed or towed!
I answered that i had been going there for 14 years and never been bothered. they say well you might be ok here then? They say the lobstermen have been having a bad year and they are blaming divers. I answer why are they having a bad year in deep water and places divers cant go he agrees and says they have to make a effort to keep lobstermen happy.
they say good luck and goodbye wow not to bad right wrong!!
Me and my 2 friends start the dive and split up looking for lobsters. Im in about 6 feet of water i hear a boat so i surface i see a boat coming straight at me so i head out into deeper water 18 feet. he does donuts on top of me for 5 min. and goes. 20 minutes later i surface i see the same lobster boat doing donuts around a dive flag 200 yard away.
Then he pulls close to shore and starts yelling at a lone diver and his wife and kids?? one of my friends is on shore
he said the guy dropped a trap next to him in 15 feet of water!!! so he went in and surfaced he said the guy pulls out a giant knife and yells i cut your F****** nuts off!!
So watch out down there in rockport ma. noboby could see the numbers on the boat other divers said there was tape over them!! a warning from Rick L.

 

[Warhammer]

Sad....It wouldn't do for me to be in that situation, I'd do my best to feed him his knife.

 

[Rick L]

it's easy to say and do things when you are in a 18 foot boat!! and divers are in the water i have a feeling he did not have what he said he would cut off!!!
Rick L.

 

[herman]

Rick,

I think if it were me, I would be planning a return trip very soon with a new dive buddy. Visit the local Coast Guard commander and have a couple of his guys come diving with me. This is his responcibily and he should put a stop to it. A couple of these nuts losing their boats,fishing license and spending some time in jail should help recalibrate their attitudes. There is simply no excuse for this kind of nonsence.

 

[large_diver]

Rick,

As someone who dives up there often -- what dive site was this at?

I've been approached by police officers in Rockport/Gloucester after night dives asking if we were lobstering (illegal at night in MA) -- they were nice enough about it. I have no doubt that the lobstermen in town talk to the police about this issue OFTEN and seem to think that every diver that enters the water is stealing their catch.

 

[Rick L]

Behind the seaside cemetery! anouther thing ive been seeing
is lots or lobster traps with cut ropes. I have also found 3 lobsters with there claws banded? 1 was a large v notch.
Why would someone throw in a banded lobster? I think(some)of the full time lobstermen are cutting the ropes of new 10 trap lobstermen!! Have you been seeing lots of loose traps too we have not had any big storms!
cya Rick L.

 

[Mverick]

I don't think I'd walk away. Someone tries to run you over in a boat and threatens you. I'd be setting a trap for him myself.
But then again, I'm funny that way. It would either be to get him thrown in jail or to ruin his livelyhood. There is NO EXCUSE for trying to run over a diver.
Lets see kill a man because I don't have enough lobsters in my trap. Like I said. I'd set something up......
Then again, I don't live anywhere around commercial fishing.

 

[Rick L]

Well it happened again saterday lobster boat circling my flag! We put a rock on flag handle 20 feet from shore
and went to our truck to change tanks. when we came back my flag was gone some sunbathers asked if we lost a flag !
We said yes they said that lobster boat there pulled it off the bottom and put in there boat! We tryed to get him to come in he wouldnt . i just called police there calling me back(maybe) Rick L.

 

[Mario S Caner]

Make sure you get the boats registration numbers. Perhaps pay him a nice visit along with the local authorities. OR, If he doesn't sleep in his boat you could turn it into an artificial reef at the marina... just some ideas... hehe



Sea you in the Deep Blue!

 

[rcohn]

I heard a few years ago a lobster boat that was harassing divers at Folly Cove on Cape Ann mysteriously "lost" the pin holding the propeller in place. Not positive this is true, just a story I've heard.

Ralph