376 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
FISHING VESSELS AND BOATS. 
The number of sail craft employed regularly in the fisheries of Texas 
in 1890 was 311, valued at $106,800. Of this number only 18 measured 
over 5 tons, the combined tonnage of these being 152.59. The fisher- 
men prefer boats Of less than 5 tons measurement in order to escape 
the inconveniences of having them licensed at the custom-house. Be- 
sides the sail craft, 536 skiffs, valued at $5,615, were employed in 1890. 
Along the Texas coast the expression “ boat” is applied to all sail craft, 
while the word “skiff” is used to designate something propelled by 
oars; and it is with these meanings that the two words are used in 
this report. The sloop, cat, and schooner rigged centerboard boats are 
the prevailing types employed in the oyster, seine, and turtle fisheries. 
Square or “lugger” rigged boats are not in use at present in the fish- 
eries of this State. The lugger is particularly adapted to winding 
bayous, where sailing close to the wind is necessary, as in Louisiana; 
and as few such places occur in the fishing regions of Texas, the safer 
and more speedy sloop and cat rigged boats are obviously preferable. 
The construction and the rig of the sailboats do not materially differ 
from the styles in general use along the coast of the Middle and New 
England States. In order to easily pass through the shoal waters of 
the bays, these boats are built very shallow, having either a flat or 
“round-knuckle” (one-half flat) bottom. They are usually from 22 to 
34 feet long, from 8 to 12 feet wide, and from 14 to 3 feet deep. The 
Cosatinporta, which was built at Corpus Christi in 1889, may be taken 
as a type of the best class of sail craft in use. Her dimensions are, 
length, 36.7; breadth, 10.9; depth, 2.7; net tonnage, 5.37. 
The sailboats are built without elaborate or unnecessary finish or 
equipment. They are decked over fore and aft, and frequently the 
entire length. All of them have a small cabin, which serves as a cook- 
ing and sleeping room. The cost ranges from $150 to $1,800, averag- 
ing about $400. They are built mostly in Texas, at Galveston, on the 
Lavaca River, at St. Marys City, and Corpus Christi. There are, how- 
ever, no extensive boat-building establishments in the State. 
~ Oceasionally, under the influence of a southeast wind, some of the 
bays become exceedingly rough. Especially is this true of Matagorda 
Bay, which in threatening weather the fishermen avoid almost as much 
as they would the open Gulf. More wrecks have probably occurred in 
this bay during the past six years than in all the remaining bays of the 
State combined. As the boats are never insured, their loss is a serious 
matter to the fishermen. 
Each sailboat usually carries one or two skiffs or tenders, costing 
from $5 to $15. These skiffs are roughly constructed, many not being 
painted. All of them have flat bottoms, so that they may be easily 
run ashore. 
