When did it start for you?

[Captlvb]

The other day I was going through some old pictures in a box and I found an old picture of a BHM 28 from back in the 80's. I got this photo from BHM/Duffy after I had hand written letter asking for more info after seeing an ad in a National Fisherman. I did this with many builders I found in that magazine.

The first downeast I saw was a 39 BHM that still gillnets out of Barnegat Light. I instantly fell in love with downeasters at that moment. Since then I have been up to Maine for an intership and vacations as often as possible to get my downeast boat fix.

So how did your infatuation begin. Obviously if you are a lobsterman it is apparent.

 

[Stinkpot]

Around 9 or 10 years old, late 70's. My father kept a boat in the Westport (MA) river across from the point where all the lobster boats tied up. Used to row my 8' pram over there and just watch everything going on; loved the smell & the sights.

Not too long ago, I came across an old text book of mine from around the 5th grade with a brown paper bag cover on it and inside the front cover was a couple of downeast boats I drew. Even had the names of a couple boats from that era: Candy Paula & Broadbill. Even at that age I could tell a nice boat from a clorox bottle.

 

[Captlvb]

Yeah most of my notebooks and even at meetings today I end up drawing downeast boats at some point.

 

[WoundUpMarine]

i was actually talking about that with my parents tonight at dinner, we started boating in florida so it wasnt really downeast boats, but my parents put me on a phonebook and let me drive our little skiff around the lake when i was 4 years old. 13 or 14 boats later, and after moving to maine, i finally have my downeaster

 

[petrel]

Commercial Yellowfin fishing and charter fishing on a friend's 40' H&H in the late 90's and riding along on another guy's 46' Jarvis Newman a few years before that convinced me that inch for inch the Maine boats kicked the asses of the Carolina boats. Might be the reason a lot of the gillnetters and longliners down here are Downeasters.

 

[noreaster]

It has been a long time. I grew up in nahant, ma and the only real business is lobstering. I was a wharf rat and had an old pram my bother and I fixed up and tooled around in. More than half the boats on mornings were lobster boats, and the glass ones were a big deal, as most were wood. I always admired them. I am on my third production boat, and my next will be a de boat. I am in SoCal for now at least, so it will require some effort when the time comes.

 

[Rearmount]

I was working on a party/head boat named Capt. Ben Litwin. We fished from Captree, a port on the south shore of Long Island. The year was 1980, I was in 11th grade. We were flounder fishing in an area called the sore thumb. I watched a boat come in called "Ho Choy". They anchored up next to us and that was it for me. I dont know the builder or owner. I just know the lines blew me away. I ran a 31' JC in Mountauk. I owned a 22' Chet Harris Cuttyhunk. I now own a 28" wood Deer Isle and ALWAYS looking for the next. Im a lurker on here but visit everyday. Someone please HELP!!!!!!

 

[MDI45]

Rearmount,The Ho Choy is a 35 Bruno owned by Whitey Berman.... i think he lives in seaford..and i think the boat is for sale...as he is getting up in age...if you need more info... let me know. i will contact a friend of his..Mike F/V Laura S.

 

[tunafishhkg]

Grew up fishing with my grandfather and when I was 12 he took me up to Green Harbor and I saw my first GBFT that yrs later he said I told him I was going to catch one someday. Took many yrs but while working for the OUR Family in Harwich, John Our started thinking about fishing for GBFT and mentioned it to me and the lust came back in spades. Never got to go with John before I left the CO. but got a 30FT Searay clorox boat and got my first keeper. I realized that fishing was more important than glitzy boats and an ass kicking I got one day in steep 6ft seas, as well as the normal ass kick of Nantucket sound, made sense to get rid of the bottle. I found a 30FT C Hawk with a 555 Cummins that I rebuilt and let a lobsterman use. We broke down and got towed by a 35 Duffy built by CIB, that towed me faster than my top speed. That was it, a DE or nothing!! My brother Saw a 35Duffy for sale two yrs later that the marina took in for trade and when I asked about it, the salesman told me I could not afford it. After looking at how it was constructed of nailed 2X4s, I agreed and that wk, took a road trip all over Maine to WB,YB,and AB. Lets just say one of them took me more seriously than the others, in respect of my ability to pay, and I ordered the AB 35 Duffy kit the next day. The salesman at the Marina a wk later, was begging me to buy that Duffy

 

[Hooper]

In 1982 my Dad took my brother and I out on a charter from Rock Harbor in Orleans, I was 11. We caught 17 bluefish that day and Ive fished ever since. I joke with my wife that I caught the million dollar bluefish that day because Ive certainly spent a million dollars on gear & boats since then!

Three years later I worked my way onto a boat as a mate because I wanted to be on the water everyday. That boat was a JC 31 named "Shanti" which fished from Saquatucket Harbor in Harwichport. I spent the next four summers fishing around Monomy & Nantucket on that JC 31, went through a lot of rough weather in that boat and she never let us down. Ever since Ive considered DE boats to be "real boats" and everything else were cookie cutters. Since then Ive gotten to fish the Cape waters on the such great boats such as Duffy 31/35/37, Fortier 26/33, JC 31/35, BHM 28/31/36, Young Brothers 35, South Shore 30.

Someday, I'll own a Northern Bay 38 and my one month old son Daniel and I will fish the canyons together!

 

[El Mar]

I realized that fishing was more important than glitzy boats and an ass kicking I got one day in steep 6ft seas, as well as the normal ass kick of Nantucket sound, made sense to get rid of the bottle. ........ Lets just say one of them took me more seriously than the others, in respect of my ability to pay, and I ordered the AB 35 Duffy kit the next day. The salesman at the Marina a wk later, was begging me to buy that Duffy

Ever since Ive considered DE boats to be "real boats" and everything else were cookie cutters.

Someday, I'll own a Northern Bay 38 and my one month old son Daniel and I will fish the canyons together!

I love these quotes!!! I feel the same way.

 

[CaptDave]

About 1974

For me it was 1974 at 16 years old when I started fishing on a 42' Bruno named Utopia. This boat was awesome and I landed a job on her as a mate. I would drive to the plant after getting my license adn look around picking up the drawings on colored paper of the 35 and 42. This led to me trying to draw pictures on book covers made of brown paper bags with DE boats on them. I loved looking at the lines of these drawings pciking up packets at the Commercial Fisherman Show in Boston and Providence during the following years. Today I worked on Relentless with family and friends and eventually get the new build that I dream about.

Dave

 

[tunaorlater]

Around 1985 I was 12 or so my dad bought a new boat. I always went with him to look at boats (we have had over 100) but this time I was in school and I was not a star performer so Dad wouldn't let me come. Well anyway he says to me, your gonna like this one I have wanted one of these my whole life. A few days later the boat mover backs a 26 Sisu in the driveway. I remeber thinking at that age that this was the best looking boat I have ever seen! From that day on there have been alot of boats come and go but the only ones we call ours are the downeasters.

Best thing about downeasters for me is with a sawsall and some imagination anything can be done.

On a side note, my parents were divorced for around 5 years at that point and I can remeber my mother saying "Oh your father finally got his downeaster"

 

[2brits]

I will always remembe the first time I saw a sweet little 22 sisu with diesel inboard purring along, someday- someday

 

[Tumblehome]

I was a very fortunate little bastard. Dad had a downeaster as long as I can remember. He worked hard all week at a desk job. Weekends were for boating with family and friends. In hindsight, I'm sure I took it for granted.

Fast forward to around 1980. I was 11 years old. I was in Carvers Harbor (Vinalhaven), with my dad and grandfather. There was a buzz at the co-op dock. A new boat. A very red, shiney, new boat. Dad, in his classic underspoken enthusiasm said, "let's go check out this boat." Dad was quickly engaged in deep conversations with the owner, and we were invited on board. I glanced at the transom: Red Baron. Cool name, I thought. We motored out past the ferry terminal, and were quickly challenged (dad explained this to me later) by a center console with a big black merc. The two boats lined up, Glenn turned to us all and simply said, "find something firm, and hang on". He was not kidding. We ran stem to stem with that boat. I remember looking at granddad's face, and he had a pucker going on. Apparently, he was not used to running 30+ in a lobster boat. I loved it. That was when the light came of for me. After spending years of my youth running all over the coast of Maine at 12 knots, I realized that these gorgeous boats can also friggin' move if set up right. I'll never forget that boat ride. Thanks, Glenn.

 

[MDI45]

Tumblehome,great story....it was the mid 1980's and the late Mike Brumm from montauk was selling his 31 J.C. and having a new 38 Holland Built...i wanted that JC so bad but could not afford it at the time...after looking at that thing i was hooked on downeast boats

 

[Whatta Catch]

Tumblehome,great story....it was the mid 1980's and the late Mike Brumm from montauk was selling his 31 J.C. and having a new 38 Holland Built...i wanted that JC so bad but could not afford it at the time...after looking at that thing i was hooked on downeast boats

Did you ever see a guy comb his hair on a boat more than him. LOL

Brumm was a great guy. Fished with him a lot. Helped him fill many bass tags. He was originally from Brooklyn and new all the guys in the bay. Everytime I fished with him the first thing he would ask me was How is West Range Treating you. Back in the day that was one of his King Ping spots for Bass. And it still holds Bass to this day. May he Rest in Peace.

 

[MDI45]

Did you ever see a guy comb his hair on a boat more than him. LOL

Brumm was a great guy. Fished with him a lot. Helped him fill many bass tags. He was originally from Brooklyn and new all the guys in the bay. Everytime I fished with him the first thing he would ask me was How is West Range Treating you. Back in the day that was one of his King Ping spots for Bass. And it still holds Bass to this day. May he Rest in Peace.

Yeah man what a nice guy ....see lifes to short

 

[Whatta Catch]

Life is too Short. You never know. I had my JC when he passed and I considered buying his Holland, but it needed alot of work.

 

[Raider Ronnie]

i was a very fortunate little bastard. Dad had a downeaster as long as i can remember. He worked hard all week at a desk job. Weekends were for boating with family and friends. In hindsight, i'm sure i took it for granted.

Fast forward to around 1980. I was 11 years old. I was in carvers harbor (vinalhaven), with my dad and grandfather. There was a buzz at the co-op dock. A new boat. A very red, shiney, new boat. Dad, in his classic underspoken enthusiasm said, "let's go check out this boat." dad was quickly engaged in deep conversations with the owner, and we were invited on board. I glanced at the transom: Red baron. Cool name, i thought. We motored out past the ferry terminal, and were quickly challenged (dad explained this to me later) by a center console with a big black merc. The two boats lined up, glenn turned to us all and simply said, "find something firm, and hang on". He was not kidding. We ran stem to stem with that boat. I remember looking at granddad's face, and he had a pucker going on. Apparently, he was not used to running 30+ in a lobster boat. I loved it. That was when the light came of for me. After spending years of my youth running all over the coast of maine at 12 knots, i realized that these gorgeous boats can also friggin' move if set up right. I'll never forget that boat ride. Thanks, glenn.

awesome story !