Under the action of the weight of the two doors, the trawl lines run out 

 and the doors open the mouth of the net. 



As a general rule, the trawl lines are run out to a length about 3 times 

 the depth for depths of over 50 fathoms, and more for lesser depths. 



The winch being stopped, there remains to unite the two trawl lines in a 

 heavy iron "hook-up" block, the opening of which is equipped with a release 

 hook. Mounted to the frame of the vessel toward the rear, the purpose of 

 the hook-up block is to hold the trawl cables along the side, preventing en- 

 tanglement with the propeller. 



At command, a man mounts to the rail near the after gallows -frame and 

 hooks the trawl cable by a hook attached to a rope which passes over a pulley 

 near the hook-up block. The apprentice-seamen and ship's boys take the 

 free end of the rope and pull it forward to one of the niggerheads of the winch. 

 The winch then pulls the rope and the two trawl cables are hauled up to the 

 hook-up block which closes upon them. 



The engine is then set to fishing speed, giving a towing speed of 3 to 5 

 knots, and the tow commences. For the large cod trawlers, this time var- 

 ies between 3/4 and 2 hours. Sometimes, when the cod are concentrated, 

 one doesn't even bother to hook up the trawl cables. The trawl, hauled back 

 after 15 minutes, yields 20 tons or more of fish! 



The tow completed, the watch calls the men to the deck for hauling back. 

 The winch is started up. The boat is swung downwind. 



At command of the captain, the trawler goes ahead full speed and a man 

 with a bar of iron strikes the release on the hook-up block; the cables fly 

 out violently. At the same time, the captain swings the vessel starboard 

 side to the wind and stops. The winch immediately begins action, pulling in 

 the forward cable to its "mark", so as to equalize the different lengths sep- 

 arating the doors, then both cables are hauled back at the same speed. 



Hauling back may take half an hour or more, depending on the depth and 

 the weight of the catch. 



103 



