PACIFIC COD FISHERIES 423 



In 1917 the Alaska Codfish Co. built, and in 1918 sent north, two 

 station tenders known, respectively, as Alasco (23 net tons) and 

 Alasco No. "2 (5 net tons). The first is 59.7 feet in length and is 

 equipped with an 80-horsepower Union engine ; while the latter is 43 

 feet in length and is equipped with a 40-horsepower Union engine. 



As these proved to be very satisfactory, the company in 1919 built 

 and sent north the Alasco No. 3 (8 net tons) , a vessel 55 feet in length 

 and equipped with a 40-horsepower Enterprise gas engine. In 1920 

 still another, the Alasco IV, was built and sent north. 



I 1 ransporting vessels. — For a number of years the companies oper- 

 ating shore stations in Alaska have been utilizing in fishing vessels 

 of the same type and size as those used in taking cargoes of supplies 

 north to the stations and in bringing back the fish caught by the 

 station fishermen. Frequently the regular fishing vessels would be, 

 and still are, sent north on this work during the winter season. As 

 stormy weather, with plenty of fog, is the rule in the North Pacific 

 Ocean, many of these vessels have met with an untimely end on the 

 inhospitable shores in this region. 



In 1913 the Union Fish Co., of San Francisco, had built a power 

 schooner for this work. This vessel, which was named the Golden 

 State, has a length of 145 feet, a breadth of 32 feet, and a depth of 

 11 feet 6 inches, and in addition to her engines is fully rigged as a 

 three-masted, baldheaded schooner. She has a carrying capacity of 

 more than 500 tons. 



The propelling machinery consists of a 150-horsepower, 4-cylinder, 

 distillate engine, It is connected with a two-bladed propeller by 

 means of a disk clutch and spur-gear type of reverse. The two- 

 bladed propeller is used in order that the blades may be placed in a 

 vertical position when the sails are being used, and in this way the 

 drag of an idle propeller is avoided to a large extent. The engine 

 is so equipped that it can be handled at slow speed with ease. 



The vessel has also a complete electric lighting plant, with dynamo 

 and two sets of bilge pumps and a force or fire pump, all run off a 

 countershaft, which is in turn run either from the main engine or 

 when that is not running is driven by a 4-horsepower, single-cylinder 

 engine situated in the engine room. Besides the quarters for its crew 

 of 8 men, the vessel has cabin accommodations for 10 passengers. 



Boats. — A considerable proportion of the dories in use with the 

 fishing vessels and at the shore stations in Alaska were manufactured 

 in New England and brought to this coast overland. Now a few of 

 the coast boat builders are manufacturing them after the eastern 

 model. The hand-line dories usually are 14 feet long, bottom meas- 

 urement. Occasionally trawl lines are employed, in which event 

 larger dories must be used in order to accommodate the additional 

 man needed and the extra amount of gear required. These large 

 dories are usually 15 feet in length on the^ bottom. 



A few years ago one of the companies began to use line trawls at 

 its shore station and employed round-bottom sailboats of the well- 

 known Columbia River type in working them. The trawling experi- 

 ment soon was abandoned and the boats were either sold or put 

 to other uses. 



During the season of 1914 the schooner Fovtuna took north with 

 her 12 portable engines suitable for attachment to the regular dories- 

 1S163— 27 1 



