398 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
rarely stay out more than a clay or two, but the larger vessels make 
longer cruises, in most if not all cases bringing in a portion of their fish 
alive and the rest in ice. 
D. Germany. 
Though trawling in various forms is quite extensively prosecuted by 
the Germans, beam-trawl fishing proper has not assumed very impor- 
tant proportions as compared with this fishery in some other countries. 
1. Fishing Grounds. 
The German trawlers fish chiefly, if not wholly, in the North Sea, 
but, as a rule, not tar from their own coast. As the shore soundings 
off the west coast of Prussia constitute some of the best of the North 
Sea fishing grounds, more especially in summer, there is no need for 
the German vessels to go such long distances from home ports as the 
English trawlers often do. But, since the larger trawling vessels often 
market their catch at English ports, they are placed in essentially the 
same position as the British trawlers, so far as nearness to fishing 
grounds is concerned. The small craft, of course, fish quite close to the 
land, but the larger vessels often go some distance off* when the inshore 
fisheries are not profitable. 
Vessels. 
Among the most important types of beam-trawlers from Germany 
may be mentioned the luggers or “loggers” of Emden, and a peculiar 
ketch-rigged class of vessels that have been designed by Blankenese 
builders. The first named of these were, like many of the Dutch trawl- 
ers, originally designed for the herring fishery, and, in fact, were either 
built in Holland or modeled after the vessels of that country. They 
are about 60 to 70 tons, rather full, flush-decked, and ketch-rigged, the 
lower masts being somewhat longer than those of the English smack, 
and the mizzen mast a trifle farther forward. 
The Blankenese-built vessels are of a similar rig, but are sharper, 
and provided with a well for keeping their fish alive. The striking pe- 
culiarity of this type of craft is the shape of its bottom. Though a keel 
vessel, the lower part of the bottom, which is about half the width of 
the deck, is nearly flat and sharp at each end, like the bottom of an 
American dory. This flat section has flaring sides, that are 2 to 3 
feet high, and which are joined to the upper part of the hull, that is 
shaped like the top of an ordinary vessel. It is claimed that these 
vessels are swift and seaworthy, and that they have the special qualifi- 
cation of keeping their fish alive much longer than they can be kept in 
round- bottomed smacks. 
Several forms of sharp sterned decked boats are employed in trawl- 
ing along the German coast, though this can not in any way be called 
^am-ttawling since the apparatus has qo beam attached to it, and is 
