Captains & Boats

Every captain in the Little Cranberry Isle Fishermen’s Coop started out as crew. Lobster fishing not something you learn in a book, it’s time-honored work learned by doing. And it is hard work on ocean waters where anything can happen, and it does. Crew members are commonly called sternmen for the stern of a lobster boat, where the sternman hauls each trap aboard the boat.

Traps vary some in size but most are 4 ft. and weigh in at 75 pounds, including the ropes. More than half of the boats in our fleet go for the 800 trap limit, hauling 400 traps per day. It’s physically demanding and repetitive work, but with a sternman aboard, the fishing is faster and safer.

Our crew members come from all walks of life and experience, from island kids who can’t wait to get out on the water to mainlanders from MDI and far beyond. Our crew “graduates” include a doctor, a nurse, an award-winning author and a public health administrator. As a founding captain of the Coop aptly put it, “the stern of a boat is a good place to figure things out.”

Bruce
Fernald

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Bruce Fernald
- 38 ft Northern Bay, built in 2005 in Penobscot, ME.
- Barbara Ann
  
  She is named after his beautiful wife.
- Crew
  
  Tyler Murphy.
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Mark
Fernald

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Mark Fernald
- 42 ft Duffy, Spencer Lincoln design, built
- Emma Marie
  
  in 2004. #6153 She was named after his beautiful, intelligent and kind daughter.
- Crew
  
  Marcus Fernald, son
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David
Thomas

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David Thomas
- Built in 1988 by David Donald in Antigonish, Nova Scotia This vessel is named after a lifestyle. In the old days, lobstermen would plug the claws of lobsters instead of banding them. Whether it is a good day,
- Boat Name
  
  or a not so great day of fishing, David simply is just-a-pluggin’.
- Crew
  
  Allen McCormick
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Corey
Alley

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Corey Alley
- 40 ft Wedgeport.Why Under Pressure? "
- Under Presser
  
  I guess I’m hard on things,” She once belonged to Mark Fernald as the 'Merry Marcus'.
- Crew
  
  Andy Moody,cousin
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Ricky
Alley

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Ricky Alley
- 37 ft fiberglass Repco built in Gouldsboro,
- Stefanie
  
  ME in 1979 She is named after his lovely wife
- Crew
  
  Ashley Alley,daughter, & Gus
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Stefanie
Alley

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Stefanie Alley
- This 28‘x10.5’ fiberglass T. Jason was built in Steuben in 2000; Terry Jason’s daughter, Tanis, was a teacher on Great Cranberry in the mid-1980s.
- Ashley & Lucy
  
  This vessel is named after Stefanie’s adventurous & inspirational mother who went over the Alps in a ballon twice,
- Crew
  
  and her sensitive & thoughtful daughter who takes after both her grandmothers.
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Richard

Howland

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Steven
Philbrook

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Steven Philbrook
- 36 ft Spenser Lincoln, BHM (Blue Hill Marine) built in 1995.
- Amy Yvonne
  
  This vessel was originally built for Eric Pinka in Cundy Harbor in 1979 and dubbed Just amazing. In 2000, Steve bought the boat and named her after his just amazing wife ! .
- Crew
  
  Sam Hyler, nephew
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Jack
Merrill

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Jack Merrill
- 42 ft Duffy, made in 1995. #71869.
- Tigger
  
  “I’ve no clue on the name".
- Crew
  
  Chris Hodgkins
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