I'd use. They're out there it force and constant vigilance is required. I'd go with "How vigilant should I be?" Very. A line cutter. Towing insurance. Wet suit if you're into that, but probably not if it's a first time use of a wet suit. Maine is too great to miss but I will confess that the lobster pot issue was pretty much a deciding factor in trying to get a 2nd season in before shipping my boat west. I couldn't face 'em. HOWEVER, I had a very wide multihull (23') and 6 'hanging-down-thingys' to catch 'em. 2 daggerboards (vertical), 2 spade rudders with too big a gap between hull and rudder, and 2 sail drives. The odds were against me and indeed, I lost on more than one occasion. But nothing that caused damage or more than an increased heart rate and a half hour delay in one case...