F/V Cape Romain at sunrise.

I was down at the dock yesterday watching Chip unload the F/V Cape Romain and waiting on Jeff and Richie to get back to the dock.  Both boats had about 400 lbs. of beautiful 16/20 count white shrimp.  That’s not quite as plentiful as we’d like to see, but the shrimp are definitely out there.  Boats have been dragging all over the area and reporting about the same catch.  Everyone is hoping for a great month in October.

I have been getting a bunch of calls in the past few days asking when oyster season starts, and the answer is: tomorrow!  We’re going to be out on the lease on Bull’s Bay tomorrow, and there’s some beautiful oysters there.  If you want some of the first oysters of the season, give us a ring (843-568-6380).

The oysters are looking great right now, and this is about the fattest we will see them until next year.  The water is still relatively cool and is at 57 in the harbor right now.  We are going to get a good bit of NE wind the next few days along with some rain and cooler temperatures, so expect that to drop back down again.  Our oyster orders are looking good for the month of March, and Jeff and I will be out the next few days to get the 40 bushels we have ordered this week.  Give me a ring (843-345-6830) if you want to get your order in.

When the weather starts getting warmer, it makes me think about shrimp season.  Our long wait until shrimp festival and the blessing of the fleet is almost over.  The water managed to just barely stay above 45 degrees, so our shrimp catch should have survived for the upcoming season.  Most of the captains in McClellanville are starting to think about getting their boats ready for the season.  I’m starting to think about eating fresh shrimp.

The forecast doesn’t look too good for being on the water for the next few days, but Jeff and I will be out anyway, so check back for updates.  Until then, enjoy the weather.

While I was away, Jeff had a busy month.  He had orders for between 40-50 bushels of oysters every week.  He also completed a refit of the oyster skiff that has it set up a bit better for oystering as well as other sorts of water-work.  More on that later. 

Some friends up in the Cape Hatteras area, Chris and Parc, told me that the bay scallop fishery is open up there for the first time in about 14 years.  The laws up there are a little funny, and they are only allowed to work three days a week with a two bushel limit each day (commercial).  Three days a week isn’t much when you have a new NE storm every week, but they have been at it every day they can.  They say that the scallops are as thick as they could possibly be, and some of the beds resemble a cobble stone road.  They have been shucking part of their catch, so if you would like to have some Carolina Scallops sent to your door, email me, and I will set it up.

I hope everyone had a good month in Charleston, and if you’re planning an oyster roast while the weather is still chilly, give me a call at 843-345-6830, and I will pick some of Bulls Bay’s finest and drop them off at your house.

White Sand and Blue Water

I’m sorry for the lack of posts the past few days, but after our busy weekend of deliveries, I decided the best place to watch the Superbowl was at a marina bar in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Thank you Jeff for taking care of the rest of the oyster deliveries on Sunday and Monday.  Go Steelers!

The weather here is decidedly better than it is in Bull’s Bay right now, but I’m not sure about the oysters.  Although the oysters we have in Charleston, Crassotrea Virginica, have been introduced out here, the most abundant oyster is still the Pacific Oyster, Crassotrea Gigas.  They grow on the rocks and cliffs around the coast.  The get quite large, but I’ve heard from Zack, who is in the know, that the flavor just isn’t as good as the Bull’s Bay Oysters.  I will be trying them, so more on that. 

Other than that, as far as shellfish is concerned, there is abalone, and some sort of clams I’m not familiar with.  I will be trying as much shellfish as I can get my hands on out here, as soon as I’m done with my Poke fascination (raw tuna with sesame sauce).  I also would like to meet some local shellfishermen and find out how things are done here.  More on that later.

If you are interested in having some Bull’s Bay Oysters delivered to you in the next couple of weeks, please call Jeff at 843-568-6380 as he will be out working a little closer to home.  In the meantime, aloha and mahalo nui from the big island.