Facing the Fury

Fishing off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland or George's Shoal was -- and still is -- a hazardous business. Fishermen, launching themselves into the uncertainty of the North Atlantic, need courage, strength and endurance. Not to mention, a large amount of blind faith that they will return to shore alive and well. In all too many cases, the sea cruelly mocked the fishermen's faith.

Early Days

Gloucester fishing schooners, of the 1870's and 1880's, were sturdy swift craft. They anchored on the Banks to fish. Crews simply cast lines from shifting decks, much like modern day recreational fishermen. The method was anything but relaxing. Sudden gales could cause the boats to drag anchor, crashing into neighboring craft or being blown to their destruction on the reefs.

From Marvel to Mutiny

The weather was not the only enemy of fishing boats. In August 1904, Gorton's launched the schooner Onata. The ship, with its 77-foot mainmast, was celebrated for its record hauls. The Onata's good luck did not last, however. Some time after being purchased by Newfoundland, it became the scene of a mutiny off Portugal, and sank to the murky depths.

The Boats Get Smaller

Men against the sea. Men didn't always win.

The way Gloucester's boats fished soon changed, with the introduction of the "long-line" method. Two men were set adrift in a small rowing boat called a dory (see below) to lay lines with spade hooks. These men then had to haul in the lines with the heavy catch hanging from the hooks. This wasn't particularly dangerous - unless there was a storm. Or fog rolled in. Or the catch didn't want to be caught. Or the waters were rough. (You get the idea.)

No Boat for Landlubbers

Men accustomed to this little boat swear by its stability and ease of handling. But landlubbers would find a dory no more steady than a canoe!

Hard Work at Sea

Long-line trawling required the dories' crews to work hard from the time the trawler neared the banks until they headed for home.

The men spent long days setting and hauling in the lines, which were kept in hand tubs to prevent tangling. Each tub contained ten trawl lines, each 300 feet long with hooks on smaller lines, placed 4 feet apart. Twelve dories laid three tubs each. So the men had to bait 27,000 hooks!

The thousands of fish who had taken the bait had to be hauled in by the dories' crews. The dories would then be picked up by the mother ship, but their working day was far from over. The men would then have to dress the fish and pack the catch in ice for the journey home.