MANAGEMENT OF THE VESSELS. * 145 



have their ballast secured in such a manner that it is not liable to give way, this can not be said 

 of the Bankers engaged in " salt fishing," which depend entirely upon their salt for their ballast. 

 This salt is stowed in "pens," or "bins," built in the hold, and if they are not well built they are 

 very liable to give way wjjen the vessel takes a heavy lurch. This sometimes occurs in a gale, 

 and when it does the vessel is generally "knocked down" in consequence, and thus placed in a 

 very dangerous position. At such a time, when the vessel is lying nearly on her beam-ends, the 

 hold cannot be reached by the usual manner of going through the hatches, and the only thing to 

 be done is to enter the hold through the bulkheads from either the forecastle or cabin. She is 

 then "righted up" by shoveling the salt to windward. This plan is not always successful, since 

 losses have occurred from this cause. Before it was customary to secure the ballast as it is now, 

 it occasionally happened that a vessel was " knocked down," shifting her ballast into the lee side, 

 as the Bankers shift their salt, rendering it necessary for the same efforts to be made in order to 

 bring her again upright. 



Eepaibs op boats. — Vessels engaged in the Bank fishery, especially in the winter, are 

 more liable than others to have their dories injured. It frequently becomes necessary that the 

 fishermen should be able to repair them. Many of the men become adepts in this kind of work, 

 and there are quite a number of instances recorded where, by exhibiting their skill and ingenuity 

 in repairing boats almost entirely destroyed, they have succeeded in making a good voyage, which 

 otherwise would have resulted in considerable loss to all concerned. 



This applies more particularly to our cod and halibut fishermen, since the whalers are gener- 

 ally provided with professional boat-builders and carpenters, especially hired for the purpose of 

 repairing boats that are damaged, and for constructing new ones. 



SEO IV ^10 



