Clive Farrin grew up in Boothbay Harbor. His best friends from childhood are legendary – Charlie Begin, Conneth Murray and Butch Cressey. They were such good friends that all through their early years at school they were always seated in remote four corners of the classroom as far apart as was physically possible.

One winter elementary school year, during their lunch break when they could go home to eat, a significant snowstorm fell upon the town. The four musketeers were smitten with the perfect packing snow. So, instead of heading home for lunch, the four proceeded to create a snowball which grew in size from the old elementary school location to about where the town pier is now, almost to the Fisherman’s memorial. At that location they abandoned the large snowball in the middle of the road and took off to hide behind a piece of ledge at the Coffin house, across the street from where the Captain Fish motel used to be. The plan was to watch and await the arrival of a town snow plow. But the plow never came. However, one of the employees from the “Freezer” crept up behind the boys and employed some emphatic expletives on behalf of the public works crew. The boys had missed lunch and not returned to school causing considerable enlightened communication among parents and the school. They were given shovels to break up the snowball and clear the road.

Clive started working on the water at around age 12 as a stern person with Bernard Bartlett. He mowed lawns then too but was fascinated with the idea of building a boat. In the meantime he continued to go fishing for $5 a day with Tom Pinkham who lived just up the road from Clive’s home on Lobster Cove Road. But, Clive got seasick. Tom had to let him go, saying, “I can’t eat my lunch with you chummin.” Eventually Clive’s boatbuilding dream won him and Charlie Begin, in 1964, statewide recognition for their best built Barlow skiff.

After high school Clive was still interested in boatbuilding but needed some formal training. At the time, Marvin Rosenblum was the high school guidance counselor and he recommended Northern Maine Technical School in Presque Isle. Not building many boats up that way but he could learn some marketable skills. After he completed school he took a job as an industrial arts teacher in Van Buren with a provisional certificate for two years then returned to Boothbay Harbor where he worked at the Freezer in the winter, then, over the years, with Harry Emerson, Hodgdon Yachts, Chetley Rittall and Allen Brewer. Ultimately, Clive took a job as a shop teacher, in the Harbor schools, for 28 years, never, however, straying far from the ocean waters.

One day out lobstering with sternman of 11 years, Cage, from Georgia, they noticed Danny Kaler out on “Hunky Dory showing people how lobster fishing was done.”

“Why can’t we do that?” asked Cage. And so they did! And now you can “go lobstering” with Clive and his grandson Isaac but you must make direct contact by voice with Clive to make reservations. His phone number is 207-380-7677. His information can be seen on Facebook and Trip Advisor. Sea Swallow, Clive’s boat, gets up early to leave the dock at 5 a.m. to set and haul, before taking any charters which happen at 8, 9:30 and 11 when available. It’s a very popular adventure and one of the lead features on Trip Advisor for the region.

“Let’s get crackin’.” You won’t be disappointed. Never a dull moment with Captain Clive!