mS CARIBBEAU AREA 



is hauled in vertically and very close to the mast. The boom is of local vfood and the sail 

 has a very long reach. The jib, also, is equipped with a light bocai. The rudder is shipped 

 outboard on pintles. These boats are used in offshore fishing with trolling lines and 

 harpocKis. 



Fishing craft observed on the island of St. Vincent fall into two types but there are 

 no dugout canoes in use. All exhibit strong influences of the old Yankee whaleboat. In 

 the old whaling days, the area around the Grenadines and St. Vincent was a whale-hunting 

 ground and, doubtless, whaleboats were repaired and possibly built in this region, even in 

 those times. The whaleboats now built at Bequia for fishing are excellent. They have a 

 19-foot keel and are 25 feet in length overall. The beam is about 6 feet. They are strong- 

 ly constructed of local woods in the ribs, keel, and frames, and are planked with pitch pine 

 imported from the United States. They are carvel built and equipped with outboard rudders 

 and a deep centerboard. These whaleboats are rigged with a sprltsail and jib — the luff of 

 the mainsail being lashed to the mast. The jib is loose-footed and reaches to the head of 

 the maiiunast. Most, if not all, these boats are built at Friendship Bay, Bequia. A small- 

 er type of boat, built on the same general lines but with a greater relative beam is the 

 second type observed. These are double-ended and are well built. They are planked in 

 carvel style. Ones over 16 feet in length are equipped with centerboa rds . A spritsail 

 and jib is used. The bottcm is a shallow vee with a sharp turn to the bilge. The beam is 

 more than one-third of the length. Sections fore and aft are very full and this makes for 

 solidity and stability. They lack the fine lines of the whaleboats but they must be heavily 

 ccxistructed since they are usually drawn up on the beach. 



At Trinidad the trend has been away from sailboats, and here the boats are designed 

 particularly for lightness and for rowing qualities. The seine boat or large pirogue is 

 double-ended and has a raking bow and stem. The fine lines fore and aft swell into fairly 

 full sections amidships. Up to 7 men are carried, usually pulling 5 oars in whaler fashion. 

 These craft are often powered with outboard motors and one has an inboard engine. At two 

 places, heavy, clinker-built dinghy-type boats are used. These may be called bumboats and 

 are the standard type boat in Tobago. A few are used on the east coast of Trinidad. 



The standard fishing boat of Barbados is the flying-fish boat. These are strongly- 

 built open vessel^ of 18 to 25 feet. The profile has no overhangs and a straight stem with 

 a firmly-rounded forefoot running down to a straight keel. The keel slopes gently down to 

 the heel of the rudder post where the draft is deepest; about 5 feet. The rudder post is 

 nesirly vertical and supports a transon stem. Secticais are very full forward and to the 

 level of the mast, then they taper off to a clean run. Below, there is a fair amount of 

 dead wood. No outside ballast is carried, but about a ton of scrap iron is carried inside. 

 The flying-fish boats are propelled by two sails — ^ good-sized, gunther-rigged, leg-o- 

 mutton mainsail and a powerful jib set on the end of a short stout bowsprit. These boats 

 may be regarded as excellent for the type of fishing in which they engage. 



Fishing boats in Venezuela are specialized for the various kinds of fishing. For seine 

 and shore fishing "piraguas" are the most used. These have widely-flaring bows, a great deal 

 of sheer and square skiff-like stems. Propulsion is chiefly by paddle and they carry 5 to 10 

 men as well as a haul seine. At times they aiie fitted with a short mast and a long "entena" 

 for a lateen type sail. Piraguas are used for bringing in catches as well as in fishing. 

 The bow sections are flat and shallow in order that the boat may be more easily pulled up on 

 the beach. The length varies from 25 to 35 feet, the width from 7 to 8 feet, and the total 

 depth from 2 to 3 feet. The seine is piled in the after part of the boat and is set over the 

 gunwale on one side. Piraiguas are locally built, usually of imported woods. In the Lake 

 Uaracaibo regioaa a type of boat somewhat similar to the piragua is called a "canoa". These 

 are locsuLly-built of both imported and locally-produced woods. The length is about 35 feet 

 and the width 5 to 6 feet. Two masts are stepped and they carry lateen-type sails. There 

 is a centerboard and rudder as well as considerable deadwood aft. The keel area is limited 

 and shallow. Center sections are vee shaped and the bottom is flat. Bow sectians are more 

 or less vee shaped and there is a sharp turn to the bilge. Larger vessels, called "chalanas" 

 range up to 5 gross tons. These are powered by sails and are decked fore and aft. These 

 have flat bottoms and are double-ended. They are equipped with one or two masts. Another 

 type of boat uses a square sail which is fore-and jift-rigged. There is a yardarm lashed to 

 the mast and the sail is loose-footed. 



35 



