EVOLUTION OF THE FISHING SCHOONER 319 



number of cubic feet of water displaced by the vessel when 

 afloat; it corresponds to the old carpenter's measurement. 

 In 1854 the English method of tonnage measurement was 

 adopted by the United States in order that our vessels 

 would not be at a disadvantage in comparison with those 

 of foreign measurement. This method of measurement 

 corresponds to the gross register, which is found by divid- 

 ing the number of cubic feet in the capacity of the vessel 

 by 100. In 1882 the Government established a net ton- 

 nage which was 5% off the gross tonnage for sailing ves- 

 sels. In 1895 there was a further reduction made by tak- 

 ing out all space for officers and crew, so that the net 

 register now corresponds to the cargo capacity of the ves- 

 sel. "The net register tonnage is obtained by dividing 

 by 100 the capacity in cubic feet of the space available 

 for cargo and passengers. From the entire capacity of 

 the ship are deducted the spaces occupied by machinery, 

 crew accommodations, and certain other housings, carefully 

 designated by law; and then the number of cubic feet in 

 the remaining capacity is divided by 100 to obtain the net 

 register. ' ' 1 



The deep-sea fishing schooners of New England are so 

 nearly uniform to-day in their build, rig and equipment 

 that data concerning one of them may apply easily to most 

 of the others, provided allowance is made as the different 

 vessels vary in size. The data given has been furnished by 

 Capt. J. W. McFarland, owner of the schooner Victor, of 

 Gloucester. The Victor is an average sized mackerel 

 schooner of the auxiliary type, with a gross tonnage of 

 122, or net tonnage of 75. She is 10 feet deep, 25 feet 

 beam, and 112 feet over all. The mainmast is 85 feet in 

 length, the mainboom, 70 feet, and the topmast 45 feet. 

 The sail area is of 2,000 square yards, made up of a main- 

 sail, foresail, forestaysail or " jumbo,' jib, baloon jib, 



i E. R. Johnson, Ocean and Inland Water Transportation, Ch. I. 



