LIEE ON THE GRAND BANKS 



27 



the skipper, whose rule is a fairly toler- 

 ant one. The men obey his orders with- 

 out question. It is he who finds the fish- 

 ing grounds, and the harder he keeps 

 them working, the more money they will 

 draw when the catch is sold. 



A hard-driving, hard-working skipper 

 can always pick up a crew, while the 

 easy-going vessel master is not likely to 

 be a big "fish-killer" and will never se- 

 cure the best men. 



the: rack to market 



Then there is the sailing. A smart 

 vessel is a fisherman's pride, and he will 

 never lose an opportunity to try her out 

 against other craft. Your fisherman is a 

 sail-dragger. He believes in carrying his 

 canvas to the last minute, just for the fun 

 of seeing her go. To be one of a fleet of 

 Banksmen "swinging off" for market in 

 a stiff breeze is to confirm one in the be- 

 lief that the American fisherman is the 

 finest sailor of the present day. 



Sail is crowded on the schooner until 

 her decks are like the side of a house and 

 the scuppers are abroil with water. Four- 

 teen to sixteen knots an hour have often 

 been made, and some skippers take a 

 pride in their ability to carry canvas and 

 refuse to reduce sail until the lee-rail is 

 under water. 



The fisherman is a pretty good helms- 

 man and can, as a rule, steer these quick 

 and jaunty schooners "through the eye 

 of a needle." Their nerve in steering a 

 vessel running before the wind and sea 

 with the big main-boom "broad off" is 

 often commented upon, as in heavy 

 weather this is the most dangerous point 

 of sailing in a fore-and-after. 



THE SKIPPER IS A MAN OF MARK IN HIS 

 PROFESSION 



The American Bank fishing skipper is 

 in a class by himself. He is usually a 

 fisherman with ambition, who comes out 

 of the dory and makes a bid for the com- 

 mand of a vessel. It is a profession that 

 is not overcrowded, and the successful 

 fishing skipper is a man of mark by proc- 

 ess of survival. 



Many a man takes charge of a fishing 

 craft and fails to make good. There is 

 no come-back for him. Even if an owner 

 entrusted him with a vessel again, it is 



doubtful whether he would get a crew. 

 Fishermen do not sail with doubtful 

 skippers or known failures. 



The ability to sail and navigate a vessel 

 is secondary to the ability to find and se- 

 cure fish. Some skippers are lucky, but 

 real hard work spells the story of success. 



The "high-line" skippers have always 

 been ''hustlers." They hustle the vessel 

 out to the Banks, hustle the dories over 

 the side, and keep the crowd hustling as 

 long as the weather allows. If it comes 

 on to blow, they hang to the Bank until 

 it eases off and swing the dories over 

 while the seas are smoothing down. 



Even though not particularly lucky in 

 striking big "jags" of fish, yet the hus- 

 tling policy of these skippers tells in the 

 long run. They lose no opportunity to 

 get the lines in the water and always plan 

 to bring aboard some fish every day. 

 After a week or ten days of this work, 

 they invariably hustle off to port with a 

 paying catch. 



MEN MUST HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THEIR 

 SKIPPER 



The successful Bank skipper must be 

 a smart vessel-handler, to inspire confi- 

 dence in his gang. They prefer to go out 

 in the dories secure in the knowledge that 

 the skipper can pick them up again if it 

 comes on to blow. The skipper who gets 

 adrift from his crowd in squall or fog 

 will find it hard getting a crew to ship 

 with him again. 



He must be an optimist and a diplomat, 

 to handle the independent crowd who 

 sail with him. He must never show ner- 

 vousness or fear in dangerous situations 

 and he must be ever ready to do the right 

 thing at the right moment. 



The men pin their faith on the skipper 

 and trust him implicitly. Should he show 

 anxiety as to his whereabouts in danger- 

 ous waters in thick weather, or become 

 confused when the wrong turn of the 

 wheel may lead to a collision, his crew 

 become panicky and will lose their faith 

 in his ability. 



He must also be something- of a busi- 

 ness man and keep the expenses of the 

 trip down as much as possible. There is 

 no profit in catching just enough to pay 

 the outfitting. He is expected to know 

 where bait can be procured at certain 



