Friday, June 8, 2007

Fishing Schooners Off Grand Manan Island 1890

The Grace Darling was brought to The Island as a schooner but she became one of the first sailing ships to get auxiliary power. The first installation was a seven and on-half horse power steam engine. Over the long term, several replacement engines went into this fishing vessel, until she finally she acquired a 90 horsepower gas-powered engine. It was under Albert Cook that this schooner's lines were altered at the Richardson boatyard on Deer Island. The first gasoline engines began to be installed in the local fishing fleet about 1919 so we presume that this final outfit came after that time. An "open-wheel" characterized the early schooners since their helmsmen needed an unimpeded view to sail in the face of a shifting boom.

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