Day 8: Finally, CRABS!

Day Eight met us at a brisk five A.M. wakeup, at least for the first group of crabbers. We met Captain Clay, our trot-lining expert, at the dockside to hop aboard his small crabbing boat and drop the lines. We rotated through taking turns dipping for crabs with the net, being the backup dipper, spotting for crabs from the cabin top, and picking up the caught crabs from the deck with tongs and measuring them. Whenever anyone missed a crab, they got the privilege of standing on the cabin top and serendaing us, one song for every crab missed. Captain Clay was quickly a favorite among the students, and astounded us with his ability to predict a crab on the line long before it was visible under the water. Unfortunately, the boat had some engine troubles and we had to go wait for it to be fixed for a bit, but a mechanic came and the first group was able to hop back aboard and catch a total of 22 crabs. They then switched and worked on their final projects while the second group went out. Because the engine troubles delayed our plans a bit, we skipped going to Gibson's Island and stayed at Rock Hall for a second night so that we could have a crab feast for dinner. While everyone finished their projects and did some tie-dyeing, the crabs we had caught (a final total of over a bushel of monsters) were taken to be steamed. They came back steamed red and coated in Old Bay, and we gorged on crabs, corn, salad and mac-and-cheese. When it got dark, we started a fire and toasted some delicious s'mores over it while remiscing about the trip. On our last night, the feeling was bittersweet; we all missed our families and the luxuries of civilization (not to mention were beginning to smell a bit), but everyone was sad to be on the last night of the voyage.