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Boats
and Gear for Hard Clams Harvesting
The
hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) is a species of shellfish harvested
in the waters of the Atlantic coast of the United States, and of
Canada. It has been introduced on the Pacific coast of the United
States and also in Europe. Hard clam farming has become a major
industry in the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States.
|
Time |
Location |
Boat |
Boat
Length* |
Gear |
1800s
to early 1900s |
Cape
Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket |
Sailing
sharpie |
6-8 |
Short
rake |
1800s
to mid-1900s |
Massachusetts,
Raritan Bay |
Rowboat |
3.7-4.25 |
Short
rake, tongs, bull rakes |
1800s
to 1961 |
Raritan
Bay |
Catboat |
5.5-8.5 |
Sail
dredge |
1800s
to 1970s |
Great
South Bay |
Sloop |
11 |
Tongs |
1880s
to 1950s |
Cape
Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket |
Catboat |
5.5-8.5 |
Basket
and bull rakes |
1875
to 1961 |
Raritan
Bay |
Sloop |
10.7-12.2 |
Sail
dredge |
1900s
|
Great
South Bay |
Garvey |
6 |
Tongs
|
Early
1900s to present |
Chesapeake
Bay |
Working
boat |
12 |
Patent
tongs |
1900s |
Raritan
Bay, Barnegat Bay |
Garvey |
6 |
Bull
rake |
1946
to 1957 |
Connecticut |
Full-sized
oyster boat |
15-20 |
Rocking
chair dredge |
1958
to present |
Chesapeake
Bay |
Full-sized
oyster boat |
15-20 |
Hydraulic
dredge |
1970s
to present |
Narragansett
Bay |
Fibreglass boat |
5.5 |
Bull
rake |
1970s
to present |
Prince
Edward Island |
Rowboat |
3.7-4.25 |
picking |
Notes
*metres
Sources
Kraeuter, J.N and M. Castagna, eds. Biology of
the Hard Clam. Amsterdam, etc.: Elsevier, 2001.
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