Rhode Island fishermen brace for hurricane
(CBS News) NEWPORT, R.I. -- Fall is prime lobster fishing season in New England. Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee says he has "grave concerns" about high winds and Hurricane Sandy's storm surge, particularly in low-lying areas. But many fishermen in Newport, R.I., aren't willing to leave their boats.
Lobsterman Jim Violet made several trips to the docks Monday, each time adding more lines to secure his boat.
"I started to go home, and I started to have a few second thoughts, so I decided to put a few extra ones on there just to be safe," says Violet, who has fished the waters off Newport for 30 years.
Violet says every storm is a little different.
"You're kind of used to storms, but hurricanes always scare you," he says. "They could damage your boat, could sink your boat, could put you out of business."
And that could have a ripple effect on other people.
"On my suppliers, customers, the crew, everybody that depends on us, the fuel guy that we buy fuel from, the bait guy that we buy bait from -- it hurts everybody," Violet says.
Hurricane Sandy speeds toward East Coast
More than 1 million without power as Sandy churns
Hurricane Sandy a nightmare for travelers
Up and down the pier, trucks are lined up with fishermen monitoring their boats. Donald Snyder is one of them.
"There will be guys in and out of here all night," Snyder says.
Some boats represent the entire livelihoods of the fishermen who own them.
Violet is most concerned about how slow the hurricane is predicted to move.
"This one is going to take its sweet time, so it's going to be pretty nasty through the whole night. It's going to be a long, sleepless night worried about my boat," he says.
The real concern down at the docks in Newport is high tide, which is supposed to be particularly high Monday night because of the full moon.
