﻿2G4 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [48] 
  

   2. 
  KEY 
  WEST 
  MARKET 
  BOATS. 
  

  

  The 
  Key 
  West 
  market 
  boats 
  are 
  locally 
  known 
  as 
  " 
  smaekees," 
  a 
  name 
  

   applied, 
  both 
  here 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Bahamas, 
  to 
  small 
  vessels 
  or 
  boats 
  pro- 
  

   vided 
  with 
  wells 
  for 
  keeping 
  fish 
  alive, 
  the 
  term 
  literally 
  meaning 
  a 
  

   small 
  smack. 
  Two 
  classes 
  of 
  these 
  boats 
  are 
  recognized, 
  one 
  being 
  

   large 
  enough 
  to 
  make 
  trips 
  to 
  the 
  fishing 
  grounds, 
  25 
  to 
  35 
  miles 
  away, 
  

   and 
  stay 
  several 
  days, 
  while 
  the 
  other 
  and 
  perhaps 
  less 
  numerous 
  class, 
  

   locally 
  designated 
  as 
  " 
  single-day 
  boats," 
  are 
  smaller 
  and 
  intended 
  only 
  

   for 
  fishing 
  near 
  Key 
  West 
  Harber, 
  going 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  and 
  return- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  market 
  on 
  the 
  afternoon 
  of 
  each 
  day. 
  The 
  larger 
  boats 
  are 
  in- 
  

   variably 
  sloop 
  rigged, 
  but 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  class 
  carry 
  no 
  jib. 
  

  

  Although 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  these 
  market 
  boats 
  are 
  purely 
  Bahamian 
  or 
  

   Bermudian 
  in 
  type, 
  having 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  been 
  brought 
  from 
  Ber- 
  

   muda 
  on 
  the 
  decks 
  of 
  trading 
  vessels 
  or 
  sailed 
  across 
  from 
  the 
  Bahamas, 
  

   and 
  this 
  model, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  rig, 
  has 
  been 
  most 
  generally 
  copied 
  by 
  

   the 
  people 
  of 
  Key 
  West, 
  it 
  is 
  nevertheless 
  noticeable 
  that 
  the 
  .builders 
  

   at 
  the 
  latter 
  place 
  have 
  shown 
  a 
  tendency, 
  in 
  some 
  instances, 
  at 
  least, 
  

   to 
  produce 
  a 
  craft 
  more 
  nearly 
  resembling, 
  in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  its 
  hull,, 
  the 
  

   deeper 
  class 
  of 
  keeled 
  fishing 
  boats 
  used 
  along 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  coast. 
  

   A 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  smackees 
  have 
  been 
  improvised 
  from 
  the 
  yawl 
  boats 
  of 
  

   vessels 
  stranded 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity, 
  by 
  simply 
  adding 
  a 
  top 
  strake, 
  build- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  well 
  in 
  them, 
  and 
  making 
  such 
  other 
  changes 
  as 
  were 
  required. 
  

   These 
  last 
  may 
  be 
  considered 
  as 
  only 
  accidental 
  forms, 
  and 
  therefore 
  

   to 
  be 
  omitted 
  from 
  any 
  discussion 
  of 
  the 
  typical 
  smackee. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  common 
  form, 
  or 
  perhaps 
  it 
  might 
  be 
  called 
  the 
  Bahamian 
  

   type 
  of 
  market 
  boat, 
  is 
  carvel-built, 
  wide 
  and 
  deep, 
  with 
  comparatively 
  

   little 
  sheer, 
  a 
  moderately 
  sharp 
  bow 
  (the 
  greatest 
  beam 
  about 
  amid- 
  

   ships), 
  high, 
  rising 
  floor, 
  round 
  easy 
  bilge, 
  moderately 
  long, 
  concaved 
  run, 
  

   a 
  deep, 
  heart-shaped, 
  square 
  stern, 
  but 
  no 
  overhang, 
  the 
  rudder 
  head 
  

   being 
  outside 
  and 
  the 
  tiller 
  working 
  through 
  a 
  narrow 
  long 
  slot 
  or 
  hole 
  

   cut 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  stern. 
  They 
  have 
  small 
  gammon-knee 
  

   heads, 
  deep 
  keel, 
  a 
  curved 
  stem 
  and 
  straight 
  stern 
  post, 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  

   much 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  rake 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  and 
  stern 
  post 
  in 
  different 
  boats, 
  

   some 
  being 
  nearly 
  vertical 
  while 
  others 
  are 
  placed 
  at 
  a 
  considerable 
  

   angle, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  craft 
  may 
  be 
  many 
  feet 
  shorter 
  on 
  the 
  keel 
  than 
  over 
  

   all. 
  The 
  variations 
  from 
  the 
  above, 
  found 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  

   built 
  craft, 
  are 
  that 
  the 
  latter 
  have 
  some 
  overhang 
  to 
  the 
  counter 
  and 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  rake 
  to 
  the 
  stern, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  rudder 
  head 
  goes 
  through 
  

   the 
  counter 
  instead 
  of 
  working 
  outside 
  ; 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  this 
  type 
  are 
  also 
  built 
  

   with 
  a 
  skag 
  aft 
  ; 
  they 
  generally 
  have 
  a 
  more 
  symmetrical 
  sheer 
  on 
  top 
  ; 
  

   are 
  not 
  quite 
  so 
  deep 
  in 
  proportion 
  as 
  the 
  others, 
  and, 
  while 
  superior 
  

   sailers 
  in 
  ordinary 
  weather, 
  are 
  conceded 
  to 
  be 
  far 
  less 
  able 
  and 
  sea- 
  

   worthy 
  in 
  strong 
  winds 
  and 
  rough 
  water 
  than 
  the 
  heavy-draught 
  boat 
  

   of 
  the 
  Bahamian 
  model, 
  which 
  has 
  a 
  high 
  reputation. 
  It 
  is 
  asserted 
  

   that 
  the 
  latter 
  will 
  often 
  go 
  out 
  on 
  a 
  fishing 
  trip 
  and 
  will 
  work 
  to 
  wjnij- 
  

  

  