It's an odd sensation under sail, mostly because it is so rare with my boat. This was late October on Eastern Penobscot Bay. And I had also noticed a different pattern of buoys on Western Penobscot Bay. I think there is a different fishing and perhaps fishermen that start working toward winter. Traps are moved farther offshore. But the thing that surprised me in Western Penobscot Bay, toggles. We don't see many of them in my area. However they become the norm in the Eastern bay.

One difference though, the toggles weren't the type I'm used to, they were slightly smaller buoys, but not the toggles I look for.

It was likely the wind and water conditions and luck because I could not recall ever hooking a warp on our centerboard which hangs at about 45 degrees. Raising the board freed the warp, and off we went. Perhaps the toggles were rigged longer and I couldn't see them rigged to the buoy.

Or, new regulations are replacing floating warp with sinking in Maine to protect Right Whales. Could it be I missed seeing any floating warp and hence the connection to the toggle? In which case, the sinking line is more apt to catch our centerboard 7 or 8' below?

If so, this could be better as the sinking warp is now farther below props, exposed rudders and such that are the "stickiest" boat underbodies appendages. Perhaps, even with some current, the sinking line will be at a lower depth. I'm a dangerous optimist, I'll admit.

Anybody have experience with snaggings last season or thoughts on the sinking warp?