Sources of Curiosity
Questions from January 27 walk
Why is some snow light and fluffy, while other snow is heavy and wet?
The moisture content of snow is determined by the temperature and humidity of the storm that produced it. If the temperature is very cold (below 20 degrees), the snow crystals tend to be long and very angular and don’t pack together well. As the temperature warms, the snowflakes become heavier, more rounded, and contain more water for every inch of snow. Water equivalents can range from over 25 inches of snow for every inch of water for powdery snow to two or three inches of snow per inch of water. To learn more, see this posting from the Weather Channel.
What was the first lobster boat??
The first lobster boats were row boats, and traps were hauled by hand. In the late 1800s, boat builders like the Lash Brothers in Friendship, Maine were building gaff-rigged sail boats for their fishermen customers in Muscongus Bay. These boats became the Friendship Sloops we know today.
In the early 1900s, internal combustion engines became widely available and boat builders started adding engines to their boats. Several styles of what we think of as modern lobster boats have become recognizable as builders in different areas of the coast have influenced the design of today’s lobster boats. Boats from the Jonesport area look somewhat different than boats built in the mid-coast for example.
For more information, see this article from Maine Boats & Harbors.
