Around the Yards
Northeast

Race season comes to Maine


On July 2, the First Team, a Northern Bay 36 hull that was finished off by Travis Otis and his father, Keith, of Otis Enterprises Marine Corp. in Searsport, Maine, left its mooring in Searsport Harbor. Its destination: Jonesport and Beals Island’s Moosebec Reach for the second race in this year’s Maine Lobster Boat Racing circuit.

At the end of 2003’s eight races, the First Team, with a 410-hp Sisu diesel, won class H (336 hp to 435 hp, 36 feet and over) and Travis Otis said he intended to do it again. He appeared to be on course, because on July 3, First Team powered down the reach and crossed the finish line ahead of four or five boats.

There wasn’t a radar gun at the races, but Otis estimates that First Team hit 38 mph.


Article originally published in National Fisherman, September 2004