WORKING IT

The image is classic: The sharp, proud prow of a Maine lobster boat slicing the inscrutable dark water, rumbling through the sea-smoked dawn. At its helm is a weather-etched lobsterman, sturdy and iconic in his boots and independence.

Classic, maybe, but not, anymore, predictably accurate. Because more and more these days, that boat may well be in the hands of a woman. And even though the boots, sturdiness and independence still fit, women are redefining much of the rest of that image. They are building followings on Facebook, sharing camaraderie through Instagram, and sounding their voices in regulatory and legislative domains.

“It takes a special breed of woman to be able to do this, but I think more want to take that chance,” says Julie Eaton, 55, who runs the 28-foot out of Stonington, Maine. “Women have sterned on boats for a long time, so being on a boat isn’t exceptionally rare, but that 3-foot step from the bait box to the helm, that’s a big step. Now, more and more women