Richard’s Almanac: Tales of a scallop man

While reading last week’s profile in the Reporter on Keith Clark, I was reminded of my own flirtation with scalloping some 40 years ago.

I had moved my young family down here to live full time in our bungalow on Midway Road. We wanted to get away from isolation and frigid temperatures of upstate New York. I did not have a “real job” lined up but was able to provide for the family by working as a bartender at the many saloons on the Island.

And my intention was to go scalloping once the season started. I read all the stories in the paper about all the scallops around and how much money their harvest brought here. One supervisor was quoted as saying that “it was easily over a million dollars” flowing into the community.

And some folks even joked that agents were infiltrating the Island to monitor the cash flow.

As I read about this opportunity that existed for a hardworking guy to be independent and earn a good living while breathing the Island’s healthy salt air, I decided that I should prepare for this fall pursuit.

After all how cold could it be? I was used to subzero temperatures of upstate.

I knew I had to get a boat. My neighbors, the Ketchams, had a 16-foot wooden lapstrake boat that their son Scott wanted to sell. Thirty-five dollars was the price. It was delivered to my  yard. There was also an engine available for $75. And I could borrow a dredge. I’d be set.

By the end of that summer, my wife said that the children easily got $35 worth of enjoyment playing on that boat in the yard.

I spent my spare time getting the boat ready with a mooring to place at a town landing, getting the necessary permits and licensing, and thought I was ready to go when the season started.

It was then that I learned that I needed a scallop-opening facility as required by the health department. It had to have separate running water, a concrete floor and other requirements like stainless steel sinks and proper waste drainage.

I am pretty handy but did not have the time to undertake this structure. The only outbuilding I had on the property was an ancient outhouse. Not good.

So if I went after scallops, I’d just be able to sell them in their shells. Not as much cash that way, I was told.

One Saturday after the opening day, Scott gave me my first lesson in scalloping.

We took the boat into west Neck Bay. We had a culling board set up and threw a dredge overboard. There was a technique for pulling the dredge which was explained but I cannot remember. I remember hauling and culling for hours.

We had the scallops in a spackle pail which we brought home after returning the boat. The whole process of opening a scallop was explained. Even though I wore gloves, my hands were scraped pretty badly.

All told, we were able to bring not quite a pound of scallops to the table. But did they taste wonderful.

The rest of the baymen could rest easy. I would not be a threat.

I went on to find other employment.