Improvements in technology have changed every profession at some point in time and have helped jobs get done more efficiently. They have also made places more accessible, which is very useful for lobstermen. The technological improvements on lobster boats have compressed our conceptualization of distance. For example, in the early 18th century, the first lobster boat,”The Dory,” was a very small boat powered by sail and oar that couldn’t hold more than a couple traps. As time passed and technology improved, lobster boats got bigger and faster. This allowed the lobstermen to have access to places further away and in more difficult conditions (Acheson, 84).
Although boats had since improved, accessibility to lobster outside of New England in the late 18th century was limited until the “lobster smack” was invented – a boat that allowed live lobsters to be transported all over the east coast. This market expansion inflated the demand for lobster and caused the creation of lobster canning companies (Acheson, 4). The canning companies preserving lobster meat allowed the the westward expansion of lobster. Before the lobster smack and canning companies, lobster leaving the New England area would have been unfathomable for the lobstermen.
Today, the technology on boats is so advanced that advancements such as motors, hydraulic haulers, radios, radars, and depth finders have allowed lobstermen to catch more than 20 million pounds of lobster in a year (Acheson 85). Technology constantly improving and changing affects our concept of distance and place. Transportation being made more accessible and modified over time has completely modified everyday life and is the reason why lobstermen are still present in today’s society. I am interested to see where the future technological improvements on transportation will take our current society.