On the weekends, Chris Devine trades in his pharmacist lab coat for his foul weather fishing gear to spend time on the F/V Sea Hound - his beloved 37-foot lobster boat. According to Chris and his partner, Troy Collins, every waking moment spent off the New England coast is time well spent. The pair carry over 800 traps to sea each weekend with intentions to only return once their boat is overflowing with the day's catch. 

As soon as they were old enough, childhood friends Chris and Troy began working on charter fishing boats along the New Hampshire (USA) coast. Once in college, Chris also started lobstering over the summers to pay for his education. Little did he know that his side gig would cultivate a new passion and become a life-long hobby. 

Chris bought his first boat at the age of 18 and has had two others since then. He started with only 100 traps on his 27-foot skip boat and has now worked his way up to his current vessel, the F/V Sea Hound.

Purchased in northern Maine, only minutes from the Canadian border, the F/V Sea Hound required some major work before it could hit the water. Chris and Troy trucked the boat down to their hometown of Hampton, New Hampshire (USA) where it lived in the shipyard for eight months. 

The duo had the original Cummins B-series engine rebuilt, then two years ago upgraded to a remanufactured Cummins C-Series 8.3L engine. Reflecting on his experience with Casco Bay Diesel, a Cummins dealer, Chris says, "Honestly, the reliability of the product and the ease of work and connection is amazing. Everyone is a phone call away and so willing to help."

While they love their weekends lobster fishing, the F/V Sea Hound gets plenty of use for other fun excursions. Devine and his wife Haley will use the boat for offshore fishing tournaments, date nights on the coast, snorkeling, sunset cruises and so much more. 

Haley mentions the comradery that the vessel brings for their friendships and fishing community. "The boat has brought a lot of our friends closer together, they enjoy helping out, fixing things and building things. It has truly created a family, and everybody loves it."

She says, "The lobster community can be so cut throat, but at the same time these guys have such a bond. They will give you anything and everything they can to ensure your boat is up and running. Everyone will be there to help."

Joking about all the love for the F/V Sea Hound, Haley says, "I like to refer to the boat as the dirty mistress. But as much as I make fun of it, it has been an awesome experience and we are truly lucky to own a boat and be a part of the fishing community."

The F/V Sea Hound is absolutely adored by her owners, deckhands, family and community. It brings so much joy, not only in the form of weekends lobster fishing but also with leisurely activities on the water and the wholesome environment it provides.

For mariner families like Chris, Haley and Troy, there really is no better place to be than the open water.

Want to see and learn more about the F/V Sea Hound? Check out their Instagram page. 

Looking for information about Cummins Marine? Visit cummins.com/marine.