Lobstah Tales

Any tale about a waterfront restaurant that relies upon either lobstahmen or fishermen or both for support must include the sad with the happy. There were many happy times over more than the half-century that the enterprises have been in business and they are told here. There were also sad times that need to be reported as well. The sea can be dangerous and unforgiving and it has been on a number of occasions in Westport. There are tragic endings to harrowing events locally and some with local ties. The entire maritime community mourn these events. The most recent (December 3, 2015) tragedy occurred twelve miles off Gloucester, Massachusetts, near Thatcher Island, when the lobstah boat Orin C capsized in thirty-knot winds and eight-foot seas and sank, taking one of the three on board to his death. The Orin C was built in Virginia in 1976 and owned by Westport lobstahman Captain John Borden before he transferred ownership. It ended up with lobstahman John Williams in Gloucester. Borden had named his boat after longtime local lobstahman Orin Crapo Jr. Crapo's father was a legend on the water and docks of Westport. He studied the weather and went out to pull his pots only in good weather, without the benefit of a compass. Fellow sailors took his lead and followed his actions. But his son, Orin Jr., was more daring. The nine-year-old could not swim. He fell overboard and held onto the pots and ropes until he was saved by his father. Strike one. Years later, Orin Jr. was joined by two pals and they headed out into the waters of Buzzard Bay. They were on a fishing boat and the boat was put on autopilot while the guys ate in the galley below on board the Scotty. Problem: they hit a freighter and flipped over. All were saved but that became strike two for Orin Jr. Strike three occurred after the lobstah boat Atlantic Sword, with Crapo and two buddies on board, sunk. The boat was never found and the body of one of his friends, Sandy Pierce, was found in the West River in a lobstah tank that floated in the river while crewman Jack Bell was never found. Orin Jr.'s body was also never found. The Moby Dick served as the search and rescue headquarters for that disaster. Borden named his boat after his late friend. There are other nautical tragedies in this book, but primarily it is a history of ownership and events in and around the Moby Dick/Back Eddy restaurant over the years.