Maine lobsterman shuns diesel power, rows tiny wooden boat out to sea, pulls traps up by hand

Maine lobsterman in tiny boat pulls traps by hand

MATINICUS ISLAND, Maine — A Maine lobsterman is using muscle power rather than a diesel engine’s horsepower to tend to his traps this summer.

In a throwback to the past, Nat Hussey rows a 15-foot wooden boat to his traps in the waters around Matinicus (muh-TIN’-ih-kuhs) Island, 23 miles out to sea. He then hauls his traps by hand instead of using a common power winch.

Hussey began using the rowboat this summer for his “zero-carbon lobster harvesting project.”

As the project name implies, Hussey wants to cut his fuel use and lessen his impact on the environment. He also hopes to prove he can earn a livelihood the old-fashioned way. He hopes there might be a niche for others to do the same.

Hussey moved with his family to Matinicus in 2006. He worked the past four years as a sternman aboard a power lobster boat.