My Tribute To Marina

We lost a great woman. Marina Finch passed over the bar last night. I knew Marina for a long time. She was the only woman scalloper in the fleet who ran her own boat. Marina used to crew on Neil Cocker's boat. Neil taught her a lot about scalloping and how to run a boat. She eventually left Neil's boat and bought Gibby Nickerson's little old Grady White. Gibby caught a lot of scallops in that boat, now it was Marina's turn. Marina jumped right in and started to learn how to catch scallops herself in her own boat. She was constantly getting good-natured ribbing from the guys down around the dock seeing she was the only woman in an all male oriented job. But she took all of it in stride and always with a smile on her face and a laugh. She wasn't a quitter. She did very well her first season alone in that little boat. She would always ask me about the wind and how hard it was going to blow and if she could go out scalloping if it was windy. I always told her not to miss any days due to wind. Especially in November. When she stayed tied to the dock because of wind, I would always needle her asking why she didn't go that day. She would always just laugh and smile. Marina fished a few years out of the little Grady White. Then Karsten Reinemo was selling his 23' Sea Ox. Marina couldn't pass it up and bought the boat. Her new Sea Ox was a huge step up from her little Grady. She was nervous. She kept asking me if she was going to be able to handle a big boat like the Sea Ox. I fish out of a 23' Sea Ox as well. I told Marina that it was completely different than her little old Grady. Wider, heavier and much more stable. I told her she could fish in any kind of wind with her new boat. That made her more nervous. I said she could not miss a day due to wind or weather with her Sea Ox. Anyway, I helped her rig the boat for scalloping as did other guys who knew her. We got her all set up so she could run the boat. At first she was scared running the boat and scalloping out of it. But eventually she learned and had a great first season scalloping. She didn't miss many days her first season with the Sea Ox. And of course if she did because she thought it was too windy, I would always pester her and ask her why she didn't go out scalloping now that she had a nice big heavy boat. She would always laugh and smile. Marina's favorite place to fish was Hussey Shoal. She learned every little spot on that shoal. One day this year she caught her limit of scallops on Hussey Shoal. I was fishing up harbor and when I came in, she was already at the dock unloading. That was the first time she beat me in. Of course I told her she couldn't ever beat me in!!! It wasn't right! She laughed and smiled. The waterfront will not be the same without Marina. We all will miss her. Here are a few pictures of Marina I have taken throughout the years-

Marina scalloping in her Grady White off First Bend, Coatue. Circa 2008.
Marina scalloping in her Grady White.
Marina opening her scallops at George Andrew's Shanty on Old North Wharf.
Her first year scalloping out of a 23' Sea Ox.
Her little Grady White.
Her Grady White boat.

Marina scalloping out of her Grady White off Moneymoy.
Where Marina kept her scallop boat on Straight Wharf. Empty now.

Flowers left for Marina where she used to keep her scallop boat on Straight Wharf.