NEWFOUNDLAND'S SCHOONER HERITAGE

by Bob Halliday

Below: "Tern" schooner Florence Swyers, 182 gross tons, built 1918 by Harry Swyers at Charlottetown, Bonavista Bay.

As fishing has been the lifeblood of Newfoundland and coastal Labrador, schooners were the mainstay of the fishery up to the mid-1900s. The role of these picturesque vessels, and their evolution in design, construction and use is a fascinating study. Bob Halliday tells that story in the pages that follow. Click on the links at left in sequence or individually to learn more about Newfoundland's Schooner Heritage. Additional content will be added as it becomes available.

Harry & Jennie, 50 gross tons, built 1935 at Musgrave Harbour.

(Photo courtesy Musgrave Harbour Museum)

They were beautiful, sturdy and very good at what they did. But the study of Newfoundland schooners goes well beyond an interest in traditional fishing vessels. An examination of the topic leads to an ever-enlightening discovery of many aspects of life in the traditional Newfoundland setting.

For example, the origin of schooner design traces a line to our European ancestry, and the changes and innovations over time reflect technological influences from Newfoundland's North American neighbours.

Schooner Crystal Stream nearing completion at Summerville.

(Photo courtesy Mrs. Lilly Hancock)

The building of Newfoundland schooners describes the community structure and tells of the hardships endured by a people whose survival depended more on ingenuity and intelligence than on academics.

The fishing activity of these vessels reveals details of the economic endeavours of individuals, families and communities in a struggling British colony. Also, the larger schooners designed and constructed for foreign trade highlight political challenges and changes in the coming of age of a society.

This is a study of history, heritage and culture.

NEWFOUNDLAND SCHOONERS - A VITAL PART OF OUR HERITAGE

Welcome to my world of schooners!

Boats have been a passion of mine since I was a boy, and it is now greater than ever! Early in 1994 I decided to build a scale replica of the Julia A. Johnson from the lines taken from the builder’s half-hull. While I was building this model it dawned on me that little had been done to collect information on schooners built in Newfoundland and that this information was disappearing quickly. I decided then that I would collect drawings of half-hull models, reproduce and compile photographs, and tape interviews with people who had direct experience with building and sailing schooners.

Information on our schooners is critical to understanding the way of life of our ancestors because schooners were central to every activity in the traditional out-port community. These vessels either directly or indirectly reflected the work, the social structure, the politics, and the economics of the community; as well as being the only link to the outside world. They were personified, recognized by their silhouette across the ocean and spoken of as old friends. On one hand schooners were exalted as the provider to the families and the community, and the other hand they were revered as the taker of life.


THE BUILDING OF NEWFOUNDLAND SCHOONERS

The interesting thing about Newfoundland schooners is that they were designed and constructed by fishermen with little or no formal education, they were built outdoors during the winter months between fishing seasons, and they were built of local timber cut and milled by hand.
It is amazing to consider the forces of nature that they had to be built to withstand, the stability characteristics that had to be incorporated into their design, and the difficulty of constructing something so massive that has only curved lines. Labour and materials for construction were readily available, but the cost of sails, cordage, and rigging was an obstacle. Financing was often arranged with local merchants who then put a lien on the vessel and had a monopoly on the fish caught, which they paid for in the form of goods.
The plan developed by the builder consisted of a wooden model of one side (usually the starboard side) of the vessel to scale. This age-old technique allowed the builder to construct frames or ribs to actual size from stations on the model and place them in pairs on a central beam or keel. The frame was then decked and planked, the seams caulked, the standing rigging attached, and the vessel was then launched.


MY WORK


Since 1992 I have been looking for original half-hull models. When I locate a model, with the permission of the owner, I “take off the lines”. This is a process which takes about an hour to trace the side and top profile and a number of stations along the length. From these tracings it is possible to produce a plan on paper showing the water lines, the buttock lines and the frame shapes from fore and aft. It is also possible to draw the deck layout, the rigging and the sail plan with some accuracy; particularly if photographs are available.
It could take a week or more to produce a good set of accurate plans, and I am now experimenting with generating these plans using computer graphics. From these plans a scale replica of the schooner can be constructed—in essence, bringing her back to life.
Early in my study of schooners I realized that these vessels came in all sizes and a variety of forms. Through the process of making plans and building full and half-hull scale replicas, I have attempted to categorize them according to traditional terminology (ie. western-boat, jack-boat, tern, and banker), and to describe how these individual forms have changed and evolved over generations. Because these changes have occurred slowly, it may be possible to trace back the unique forms of Newfoundland schooners to their roots in coastal regions of Britain where the early builders originated.



MY MODELS

Over the years I have traced almost one hundred half-hull models, but only a few of these lines have been developed into plans that can be used to build a scale replica. To date I have finished two full scale replicas and partially completed several others, as well as about a dozen mounted half-hull scale replicas.
The Julia A. Johnson and the Paulette are constructed of planking on ribs, which is the most time consuming method of model construction. The Philip E. Lake and the Marian Winter are constructed of planking on a pine shell which saves many hours of work and produces a hull which is realistic and resistant to changes in temperature and humidity.

My half-hull scale replicas are all attached to oak display boards, and designed to clearly show such details as the deck, the bulwarks, the railings, scuppers and hawse pipe. The Phoenix, the James and Kathleen, and the Melva Abbie were constructed of pine painted to represent the original schooner.
The half-hull scale replicas of the Trinity North, the H. M. H. Humby, the L. M. May and the Annie E. Johnson were constructed in varnished specialty woods such as mahogany, maple, and walnut to represent the colors of the hull. The construction of these models is my art.

If you wish to purchase one of my models, they are available on special order.

Also, if you have, or are aware of the existence of schooner half-hulls or photographs, I would appreciate the opportunity of taking off the lines from models and/ or making copies of the photographs.

I may be contacted through my e-mail address: <halliday_robert@hotmail.com>