by Gord Robbins
Reprinted from the Informer, September 1993
Transcribed by Wanda Garrett, January 2015
There were hundreds of schooners sailing to the Labrador each spring. Obviously they could not all fish in the same area. Some of the places where they fished were: Batteau, Black Tickle, Indian Harbour, Cape Harrison, Iron Bound Islands, Salters Tickle, Jigger Tickle, Queen’s Lakes near Nain which included Young’s Harbour and September Harbour. Other places were Emily Harbour in Gross Water Bay, Upper and Lower Cut Throat, Cape Mugford, Cape Harrigan and Fanny’s Harbour. (Fanny’s Harbour was famous for the son “Fanny’s Harbour Ball”; a story of two young men fighting over a girl. Does anyone have a copy of the song?)
Here is a list of more of the schooners that sailed to the Labrador from Southwest Arm and their captains:
The Florence rebuilt and renamed The Willie Martin, Skipper Mose Martin. He also skippered the Margaret Ann Smith and the Annie S. Clark – rebuilt and renamed the Eldon John Russell. The Ivy Francis – Captain Eli Drodge; The Ruby & Nellie – Skipper Jim Martin; the Norma & Gladys, The Aileen E.G. Tucker and the Dorothy Burle were all skipped by Allan Tucker, St. Jone’s Within. The Bessie H., the J.S.G. – renamed Aileen E.G. Tucker and the Ruby L.M. Smith were captained by Silas Tucker. Guy King of St. Jone’s Within skippered the Lilly Beatrice and the Annette Lovetta; his son Bill later skippered the Annette Lovetta. There are many more which I will record in a later issue.
There were many interesting stories told about the Arm. Fred Martin told me of the time they purchased the Annie S. Clark from the insurance company after she went aground in 1941. They advertised through the Gerald S. Doyle news for men to help pull her ashore. Approximately 300 men showed up to help.
Allan Tucker tells of the time on the Labrador when another skipper came aboard their schooner wearing white gloves. When asked why, he explained he was preparing for his death. Fish that year was scarce so he said, “If you do not pay the doctor, he will let you die; if you do not pay the merchant, you will starve to death; and, if you do not pay your minister you will go to hell.” He did not have enough fishy to pay up.
Unlike the present when there is no fish to catch, there was still plenty of fish on the Labrador when the schooners stopped sailing. Uncle Al Tucker explains it was simply economics that caused this. Before Nfld. Joined Canada the Commission of Government made up the exchange difference on the world markets thus giving the fishermen $12 – $12.50 per quintal for fish. After 1949 the Canadian government dollar value was not the same and fish dropped to $7.50 per quintal.
Mr. Tucker sailed to the Labrador 32 summers and after that he worked at Churchill Falls, Labrador City and Goose Bay for years. He said he spent most of his life on the Labrador.
George Vey of Long Beach was skipper of the Silver Spray, the R. Graville and the Melva [Melba] made 50 trips to the Labrador.
As I mentioned before, storms were part of the days work. During the war skipper George Vey arrived at St. John’s on a Saturday night. The chain and net were across the Narrows (a protection against German submarine). A storm arose and they drifted out losing their sails and breaking the main boom. They were towed in to St. John’s the next day by the government cutter.
Fred Martin tells of the time Skipper Mose Martin was returning from St. John’s, December 1921. They got caught in a snow storm and was shipwrecked near Bay de Verde, Conception Bay. The 10 men and two women were rescued but the boat was a total loss.
Uncle Al Tucker tells of the time, 1948 or 1949 they hauled on trap in the evening taking out two boat loads of fish. That night a storm arose and they never saw the trap again. That night 60 traps were destroyed from Cape Harrison to Cape Harrigan.
Another interesting item about the Labrador concerns salmon. Today it is a high priced delicacy. In the days of the Labrador fishery, the crews of the schooner (7-10 men) salted a quintal each for themselves. There were occasions when the cod traps would be full. They turned the salmon out over the heads of the trap (the rope enclosing the trap floated by corks). In later years collector boats bought the salmon for canning or freezing.
Running out of space – more next issue. Thanks to Mr. Fred Martin, Little Heart’s Ease; Mr. Cyril Thomas, Hodge’s Cove; and Mr. Allan Tucker, St. Jone’s Within for their information.
Transcriptions may contain human errors. As always, confirm these as you would any other source material.