Julie Eaton, Lobsterman/Photographer

by Brenda Tredwell

Lobster boats up on the banks, and snow swirling, Harbor Café in Stonington is quiet. A beefy guy at another table points to framed photos on the wall. “These were taken by a lobster woman – they’re fantastic,” he says, fiddling with the salt shaker. He has no idea the photographer, Capt. Julie Eaton, is about to blast through the door like Apollo 10.

“Hey!” she announces, to no one, every one, enshrouded in February air, as the door swings shut. Eaton’s energy livens up a place, it always does. It’s fortunate the blue-eyed blond force of nature missed the lobster woman comment. “Look, I’m a lobsterman just like everyone else.” She dislikes the term lobster woman - it implies she’s different from others who lobster. Her job description isn’t any different, why invent a label?

Several years back, Eaton took a Kodak camera along on her boat. “I just wanted to share with people what I see, and why I fish. There are no words to describe how incredible it is where I work,” explained Eaton. She feels lucky her “office” has 5 windows, and the view is always changing. After selling some of her photos, she bought her first professional camera, a Canon Rebel XSI.

Eaton stows the camera in a 2-gallon zip-lock bag, before heading out to haul. A favorite subject is an Eagle she’s named Majestic, who’s nested in the same aerie for 20 years. He soars within 10 feet of the boat when Eaton’s fishing, so she’s documented the experience. Other subjects photographed by Eaton include sea vapor surrounding boats, and atmospheric conditions, which fishermen see every day, but the majority interested in seeing her work does not.

At her first gallery opening, it was suggested that Eaton should try and steer conversation away from the fishing, tone it down, focus on her work. But gallery patrons wanted to hear about lobstering. She’s a lobsterman with a camera, not a photographer with a boat. Eaton is up-front about that.

When a woman asked what ISO and F-Stop the camera was set at, Eaton froze.“Well, I’ll tell you,” she said, “I’m a commercial lobsterman. The only F-Stop I know, is when the s#@& hit’s the fan out there on the water…then – it‘s Oh, F@*% Stop!” She sold the photo. Eaton’s fishing career began against all odds.

She was driving to work one Saturday, four days after her twenty-third birthday. A cement truck came from out of nowhere. The truck crashed into Eaton’s car. There were no broken bones, but there was severe trauma. The doctor couldn’t offer a prognosis, except that she might not walk again, dress or feed herself, or work. Coming out of the coma was a long ordeal. When Eaton pulled through, her brother joked, “ She wasn’t good enough to get into heaven, and hell was afraid she’d take over.” It was a good sign when Eaton laughed.

In recovery, Eaton started “helping out” on a scalloper. Looking back, she believes she was “more in the way than helpful, probably a pain in the a--” Eaton told the divers she would dive with them. The following season, she was diver-certified. Eaton dove for scallops for 14 years. Scallop season ran November 1- April 15 when she started. She figures, “That’s over 10,000 hours – that adds up to about three and a half years spent under water! ”

Eaton worked as a stern man. with William Shepard, and on Vinalhaven, with Albert Osgood, then Gweeka Williams. She claims, “With Albert I learned to clean a boat, Gweeka taught me how to swear.” Eaton ran a buying station with 23 lobster boats – writing checks, handling fuel, and buying and selling bait.

Family Julz, Eaton’s first boat, was a 23' Sea Way outboard with a 115 HP Mercury outboard engine. Eaton now lobsters out of Stonington on Cat Sass, a 1974 REPCO 30' overhauled in 2002.

“If you want something bad enough, you figure out a way to do it,” says Eaton.

Sidney Eaton married Julie Brown, then asked if she’d be his stern man, on Kimberley Belle. In a word, two lobster boats winter alongside one another by Eaton’s shop.

To see Eaton’s photos, go to www.yessy.com Or, visit Harbor Café, Main Street, Stonington.

Julie Eaton was filmed in a 2009 documentary by Red Hill Films, to be released this summer, with an opening and preview at the Stonington Opera House.