Maryland Watermens Association, MD Watermen, Commercial Watermen, Bay Men, Maryland Watermen's Association, Chesapeake Bay Watermen, Waterman
The Maryland Watermen's Association is dedicated to the interests of all who derive beauty & benefit from Maryland's Chesapeake Bay Waters		  

Oysters, Patent Tong Oystermen of Maryland's Chesapeake bay

Patent Tong Oystermen are allowed to harvest fifteen bushels of oysters per license holder per day, with a boat limit of thirty bushels maximum.  Patent Tong boats can work with one or two men, as everything works with hydraulics.

The oysterman works the winder and the tongs by foot pedals with his left foot he drops the tongs to the bottom and with with his right foot he closes the tongs.  Then, with his left foot he winds the tongs out of the water.  He then swings the tongs over the cull board and hits the right pedal to open the tongs which dump the oysters and shells on the cull board.  He then scrapes the shells and under size oysters over the side to settle back down on the oyster bed. 

Some boats have two rigs on them and it takes two men to operate them.  Each rig makes two to three dips a minute so you can see that this is very hard work.  Patent Tonger's work from sunup to three p.m., five days a week Monday through Friday, from October 1st through April 15th.


The Cheryl Leigh out of Rock Hall, Maryland



Capt'n of the Cheryl Leigh Empties the Patent Tongs off Rock Hall, Maryland



Dredging Chesapeake Bay Oysters



Patent Tonger sells his oysters to "Buy Boat"

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