B O O K R E V I E W
Vessel Search Unearths More
by James J. Pieklo
IN SEARCH OF ELLEN MARIE
by Rachel Rowley Spaulding
Archway Publishing
171 pages, $13.99
Today the eastern rigged fishing trawler exists in by-gone memories, on artificial fishing reefs, or perhaps in a maritime museum somewhere. Eastern rigged vessels were ground fish seekers, the direct successors of ancient sail powered fishing boats. They were made of wood by craftsmen and were powered by a relatively low horsepower diesel. And, unlike today’s steel trawlers, these boats ran their nets off the side, not the stern, and plied the waters of the northeast and mid-Atlantic areas, thus the source of eastern rigged.
Very few people would consider an eastern rigger to be a good-looking boat. But they were all about catching fish, not appearance. One of the best-known builders of eastern rigged craft was the Harvey Gamage yard in South Bristol, Maine. It was that yard that produced a very successful dragger, the Ellen Marie. As eastern rigged engine powered vessels quickly began replacing sailing vessels, those who grew up aboard those canvas propelled boats predicted doom. Since these powered trawlers easily could out-fish their sail powered ancestors, the old timers predicted they would rapidly wipe out commercial ground fishing. They were designed to get to the fishing grounds of Georges Bank and Nantucket Shoals, ice down the catch and head for shore. Freezers and icemakers on boats were several decades away and one of the last things an eastern rigger did before heading out was loading the insulated holds with tons of ice.
Appearance-wise, the 80-foot Ellen Marie looked no different than the hundreds of others plying the north and mid-Atlantic in the middle of the last century. But apparently it was attractive to artist Arthur Moniz who did a painting of the boat’s wheelhouse he appropriately named The Pilot House. That rendering was on display at the Arthur Moniz Galley in New Bedford, Massachusetts, when it was spotted by writer Rachel Rowley Spaulding, who until that moment never even had a passing interest in New England’s rich commercial fishing history.
Whatever attracted her to the colorful painting of a non-descript wooden fishing boat no one knows. But it unleashed in her a desire to find the Ellen Marie. She anticipated a rather quick search, but found old, obsolete fishing boats do not leave much of a trail.
Spaulding’s book reads almost like a mystery novel with plenty of clues, former crewmen to be interviewed, and Coast Guard registrations to be checked. The reader walks and drives with her as she travels New England following up on leads. Her vivid description of the streets, shops and museums allows you to feel you are by her side.
Memories supplied by one of Ellen Marie’s first skippers, Captain Arnold “Woodie” Bowers, provide fascinating insight to the rugged life aboard a relatively small wooden fishing boat where creature comforts were few. The work was hard and dangerous, but Ellen Marie had earned a reputation as a high liner, a boat that regularly produced the biggest catches that resulted in the best wages for the captain and crew.
As you turn the pages the reader becomes as involved in the search as the author. Promising leads tend to build anticipation of a satisfying outcome, while leads that fail to pan out or provide potentially negative information seem crushing. And, in keeping with a mystery story, this true life adventure keeps you guessing the outcome almost to the very last page.
Actually, In Search of Ellen Marie is the second book to feature the boat. That’s quite an accomplishment for a vessel involved in a mainly anonymous industry. In 1970 photographer William Finn published a picture book simply entitled The Dragger. If you can find it, it would make a superb companion piece for Rachel Rowley Spaulding’s search. If you have worked in the commercial fishing industry or have a family member who has, or if you live in an area where commercial fishing is a major industry, or if you simply are intrigued by stories about boats and the ocean, In Search of Ellen Marie should be on your must read list.
In Search of Ellen Marie is published by Archway Publishing and is available in hard or soft cover. It can be found at www.rachelrowleyspaulding.com.