BEFORE DAWN IN the coastal Maine town of Jonesport, Nick Perreault wakes up, caffeinates, and prepares before his day fishing for lobster. Driving through town, Perreault mentally gears up for another day of captaining his fishing vessel.
He boards his boat garbed in layers, waterproof boots, and oil pants, and navigates out of the harbor. Operating without a deckhand, he baits, empties, stacks, and drops traps. Much of his day involves rubberbanding the lobsters’ claws, checking regulatory requirements like size minimums, and returning undersize catches back to the ocean. The frozen fish bait is pungent, which for many fishers can worsen seasickness. (Perreault’s antidote: Dramamine.)
