If you are a boater, in particular a sea or ocean-going boater, 
you have probably tried your hand at catching prawns and/or 
crabs with their respective pots. And if you have tried this, 
then you know how many traps or pots you have lost over the 
years! But it is so rewarding when the traps come up with our 
dinner, that we try it again, over and over every year.

This is the story of our weekend boating trip and yet another 
lost prawn trap. My husband and I have been boating for several 
years with friends and their Bayliner on the west coast and 
enjoy our excursions through the San Juan Islands in Washington 
state and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia. Crabbing and 
prawn trapping is very popular among both pleasure boaters and 
commercial fisherman in these areas. 

Our friend Jan had just had another birthday and her husband 
Hank decided to buy her something that they could both enjoy. 
You guessed it, a prawn trap. Out they went at the first 
opportunity early one morning in July and dropped their prawn 
trap over the side of their Bayliner. The attached float was 
clearly visible to other boaters and had their name and boat 
registration number painted on the side. As the day progressed, 
they decided it was time to check the prawn trap for booty. 
Dreaming of the delectable dinner that awaited them, they took 
off in their dinghy to check the trap. Around and around they 
went looking for their trap, but it was not to be found. They 
took their bearings from the land and were sure that they were 
in the correct spot, but no such luck. Once again, yet another 
prawn trap had disappeared. Back to their yacht and a dinner of 
pork and beans.

The next morning they weighed anchor and start off for the next 
day's location, looking as they went for the missing prawn trap.
It was becoming obvious to them, that it was gone.

The following weekend, my husband and I were invited on board 
their yacht for the weekend. It was a beautiful weekend as we 
headed out across the straits towards the islands where we 
intended to drop anchor and spend the night on the hook in a 
secluded cove. The weather was sunny and warm and the winds 
very calm. We spent the night and enjoyed the company and 
conversation. Lots of laughter, especially on the topic of 
missing crab and prawn traps. We kidded our friends about losing 
another trap. "How many is that, this year?" we asked. "Too 
many," they replied.

After a wonderful sleep on the water, we got up the next 
morning, had breakfast and decided to spend the morning at a 
nearby weekend market. This market is held every Saturday during 
the summer season, and hobby farmers and crafters come from all 
over the area to display and sell their wares. It really is 
quite fun.

Up came the anchor and off we went. As we motored we watched 
for floating logs and other traps. It wasn't too long before Jan 
cried out. "The trap, the trap. There is our trap!" Sure enough 
as we circle back, there was the trap that had been lost the 
previous weekend. We came alongside the float, and slowed the 
motor. My husband went to the aft of the boat and began pulling 
in the line over the transom. It was very heavy.

He pulled and pulled. Slowly the line came up and into the boat, 
but no sign yet of the trap. Oh, my goodness. Did this mean that 
the trap was full to overflowing with prawns that had been 
trapped for the last seven days? If so, we were in for a very 
large feast that night. Pull, pull and pull some more. By this 
time my husband's brow was wet with sweat, and his brand new 
Hugo Boss white boating shirt was getting splattered with mud 
and seaweed that was coming up with the line.

Finally after several minutes of pulling, he could just make 
out the shape of the trap. There was a large whitish-gray mass 
coming up with the trap. But what could it be? Was it a log? Was 
it a block of cement that a commercial trapper had put in? Was 
it a seal, trapped in the pot? It was still too far down to see 
clearly. He pulled some more. As it was getting closer and 
within reach, the line snapped from the strain. My husband was 
thrown back towards the other side of the boat and the mud went 
flying everywhere!

It was lost! The trap and its contents, whatever they might have 
been, were gone. Our mouths stopped watering. There would be no 
prawns for dinner once again. We've puzzled over this one for a 
long time. What was in that trap that made it so heavy? I guess 
we will never know.

And our friends, Jan and Hank, have purchased and lost several 
more traps since this experience. They tell us that they have 
enjoyed many dinners on their Bayliner complements of their 
traps, but they never seem to catch anything when we are out 
with them. Strange coincidence or not?! Maybe it is just one 
of those fishing stories!