The Young Man and the Sea

It takes Skiff two days to attach the new planks to the Mary Rose. He doesn’t want to get attacked by mud worms again, so he lays on a piece of wood. Captain Keelson admires Skiff’s work, and helps him and Mr. Woodwell set the new planks with caulk and cotton to prevent leaks. Later, Skiff prepares dinner, makes his father eat, takes his empty beer cans to the shed so the garbage collectors won’t gossip, then reads comic books until he falls asleep.

In the morning, Skiff tests the Mary Rose for flotation and leaks. His father comes outside to admire his work. Skiff calls a mechanic named Mike Haley, who checks the Mary Rose. Skiff claims his father is sick with the flu, and this is why he’s not outside helping; Mike reassures him that consultation is free. He says the boat is fixable, but needs new wiring, batteries, bearings, and possibly more. Mike will give Skiff a fisherman’s discount, but repairs will cost at least $5,000. Skiff knows they don’t have enough money because his father hasn’t been fishing. He starts brainstorming how he can make the money before summer’s end.

Skiff’s father confirms they do not have $5,000. Skiff cooks lunch, then decides on a plan to make money. He decides to use his skiff to set lobster traps: He can fit three in the boat at once, but has two hundred, so it will take him about two weeks to set them all. At the current market price, Skiff needs to catch 2,500 lobsters to pay for the Mary Rose’s repairs. He tells his father his plan, and Skiff Sr. mentions needing to buy bait and gas, as well as potentially losing traps in the process of fishing. Skiff says catching lobsters is worth doing, but his father encourages him to play with friends instead. Skiff thinks it was pointless to tell his father because of his negative outlook.

Skiff puts some lobster traps in the skiff, then goes to Devlin Murphy’s fuel-and-bait shop to buy bait. Devlin asks if Skiff’s father has started fishing again, and Skiff clarifies he’s the one fishing. Devlin thinks 200 lobster traps is too much for a child to set with a small skiff. Still, he sets up a credit account for Skiff, with a fisherman discount, like he once did for his father.

For two weeks, Skiff sets lobster traps a distance from other people’s traps, as proximity is frowned upon. Removing the traps is difficult, but he finds many lobsters and crabs. However, most of the lobsters are too small to keep. Skiff’s father, like Devlin, thinks 200 lobster traps are unmanageable for Skiff, but he insists he can handle it; he’s already made about $900.

One day at Devlin’s shop, Skiff spots Tyler Croft on his large tuna-fishing boat, the Fin Chaser. Skiff’s father used to work on this boat, having been the best harpoon fisherman on it. In August, he’d sometimes make more money fishing tuna than lobster for a year. One year, he caught 18 tuna, which made enough money to buy a new truck and kitchen. When Skiff’s mother became ill, his father stopped working and got into an argument with Tyler’s father, Jack Croft; they no longer speak. Tyler taunts Skiff, and Jack fusses at him—but Skiff can’t hear them.

The following day, Skiff pulls up some lobster traps and finds them empty, as the bait bags have been cut by a human; other traps are missing or had their buoys cut off. Skiff assumes Tyler interfered, but has no proof. Skiff’s father asks what’s wrong, but Skiff won’t tell him; his father’s subsequent silence disappoints him. Skiff doesn’t think telling his father, Tyler’s father, or the fishing-and-gaming office will help. After his father falls asleep, he sneaks into his skiff and rows.