Kristian Ferrell
Clam boats are used to harvest clams from the sea floor. Water is pumped down from the boat through a hose, breaking up the sea floor and raising the clams to the surface. The clams are then scooped into the boat and placed into wire mesh boxes known as cages. Clam boats can haul up to 50,000 clams. The design of the boat is important, as it needs to be able to handle rough waters and avoid getting stuck in solid water. Clam boats vary in size, with some being as small as 20' and others twice that size.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To harvest clams |
| Design | Simple, with plumb sides and a step keel |
| Performance | Handles well in rough waters, but not in solid water like the back of a wave |
| Equipment | Large hose to clear sand and mud from clams, wire mesh boxes to store clams |
| Capacity | Average clam boat can haul 40-60 bushel baskets of 1,500 clams each |
| Power | 50 HP |
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What You'll Learn
Clam dredges
Once the clams are brought aboard, they are put into large wire mesh boxes known as cages. Each clam cage weighs several hundred pounds empty and several thousand pounds full. The large hose on the side of the boat helps to clear sand and mud from the clams to reduce the weight that the boat and workers must transport. An average clam boat can haul 40-60 bushel baskets of 1,500 clams each, which is up to 50,000 clams!
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Water hoses
The water hose is also used to clear sand and mud from the clams to reduce the weight that the boat and workers must transport. This is done with the help of a large hose on the side of the boat. The process of dredging for clams involves towing a steel cage-like dredge along the seafloor to collect clams and scallops. The dredge is then brought up at intervals of 5-10 minutes to be checked and emptied if necessary.
The size of the water hose and pump can vary depending on the size of the boat and the target species of clams. For example, in Buzzards Bay, boats of 30-40' with inboards, booms, and winches use diesel water pumps to fish for clams at depths of 30' and shallower.
Overall, the water hose plays a crucial role in the clam boat's operation by providing the necessary water pressure to break up the seafloor and loosen the clams, as well as helping to clear excess sand and mud from the catch.
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Clam cages
Clam dredges are cage-like steel structures that are used to collect clams from the sea floor. Water is pumped down from the boat through a hose into a manifold at the front of the dredge. Nozzles in the manifold direct water jets into the sea floor to break it up and raise out the clams, which are then scooped into the dredge by a cutting bar underneath. Small clams fall through the gaps between the bars and are left behind. The dredge is brought up to the boat at intervals of 5-10 minutes to be checked and emptied if necessary.
The average clam boat can haul 40-60 bushel baskets of 1,500 clams each, or up to 50,000 clams. Brightly coloured bushel baskets are used to transport the clams to wholesalers. The large hose on the side of many boats helps to clear sand and mud from the clams, reducing the weight that the boat and workers must transport.
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Boat design
Clam boats are designed to dredge clams from the sea floor. Water is pumped down from the boat through a large hose into a manifold at the front of the dredge. Nozzles in the manifold direct water jets into the sea floor to break it up and raise out the clams, which are scooped into the dredge by the cutting bar underneath. Small clams fall through the measured gaps between the bars and are left behind. The dredge is brought up to check and empty at intervals of 5-10 minutes. Once they are brought aboard, the clams are put into large wire mesh boxes known as cages. Each clam cage weighs several hundred pounds empty, and several thousand full.
Clam boats are designed to be able to haul 40-60 bushel baskets of 1,500 clams each. That’s up to 50,000 clams. Brightly coloured bushel baskets are used to transport market-sized clams to the wholesaler. Clam boats are often designed with a flat bottom V-bow, which does not handle well when stuffed into solid water such as the back of a wave. The bow will wallow if it does. A clam skiff is a simple design with plumb sides, which make it easy to hand-haul lobster traps over the side. A step keel also works well.
The size of the clam boat depends on the size and species of the clams being targeted. A 20' skiff would be great for some areas, but in Buzzards Bay, they use boats twice that size on 30-40' boats with inboards, booms and winches, with diesel water pumps.
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Diesel water pumps
Clam boats use a large hose to clear sand and mud from clams, reducing the weight that the boat and workers must transport. Water is pumped down from the boat through the hose into a manifold at the front of the dredge. Nozzles in the manifold direct water jets into the seafloor to break it up and raise out the clams, which are scooped into the dredge by the cutting bar underneath. Small clams fall through the measured gaps between the bars and are left behind.
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Frequently asked questions
A clam boat is a boat used to harvest clams.
Clam boats use a large hose to clear sand and mud from clams, reducing the weight of the boat and its cargo. Water is pumped down from the boat through the hose into a manifold at the front of the dredge. Nozzles in the manifold direct water jets into the seafloor to break it up and raise out the clams, which are scooped into the dredge by the cutting bar underneath.
The average clam boat can carry 40-60 bushel baskets of 1,500 clams each, which is up to 50,000 clams.
Once they are brought aboard, the clams are put into large wire mesh boxes known as cages. Each clam cage weighs several hundred pounds empty, and several thousand full.
Clam boats are also known as clam dredges.
