Charles MacDonald Lobster Factory, Brown’s Cape, Little Pond.

The catches were not always small. Norton’s Diaries noted catches of up to 4100 pounds, this big catch being the prize of Mac Allen of Boughton Island. In the same year he reported that the lobsters were almost walking away with the traps at Boughton Island and that you could easily get rich fishing on P.E.l.

After 1910 gasoline powered boats began to be used. They were powered by what was known as “make and break” engines. These boats still weren’t very large but their movement didn’t depend on muscle or wind power. These boats were sometimes used to tow the dory fishermen out.

When the gasoline boats became popular, so did powered winches and haulers. As less physical effort was required to haul the traps, the size of the fleet in- creased. The flshermen also began to supply their own boats which were often built by local boatbuilders. As the size of the fleets and the sophistication of the equipment increased, the fishermen turned to sources outside the province to provide their. boats.

At one time most fishermen fished alone but there were some double boats as they were called with two ‘men in them. in later years, after the fishermen started buying their own boats and having their own gear, each fishermen usually had a hired man or a “cork” as he was called. A woman was not allowed near the boat as it was supposed to bring bad luck. However, it is now becoming a com- mon practice for women to act as cork for their husbands.

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