Part 16

[25] By act of May 22, 1628, it is ordered that there be paid to Adam Clippens, Engineer, who built the mud mill, a sum of 100 florins for the bid which he presented.

FISHING BOATS

[Sidenote: III 112]

Man has been given to fishing from the most remote times, even though in primitive ways. Hence fishing boats will also be seen to have existed from the earliest times; furthermore, as man thinks of his own maintenance first before dreaming of trade, fishing boats are older than merchant ships and it is perfectly natural to conclude that the latter issue from the former. So, the “Koggenschip” (cog) is nothing but a transformation of what will be called later an “Egmonder Pink” or better, a “Pink” of large size.

As fish were taken at the beginning only for local needs, the fishing boats were small. Distant expeditions were not undertaken, the preservation of fish being unknown in those days. Some old writers even maintain that the herring fishery only appeared at Zierikzee in the XIIth century (in 1163 according to ~Witsen~, p. 431). Hence it may be said that the beginnings of our ocean fisheries date only from the century mentioned. No great revolution took place until 1384, when Willem Beukelsz of Biervliet invented the salting and barrelling of herrings. This invention caused such a stir that, a hundred years after the death of Willem Beukelszoon, the Emperor Charles V still visited his tomb at Biervliet (1556).

Distant voyages became possible from this moment because the herring could be preserved. The first great herring net was made at Hoorn in 1416, and smooth planking for the boats made its appearance at Zierikzee, the centre of the herring fishery. A relation certainly exists between these two events. The packing of herring gave fishing such a start that a new commerce was the result which, in its turn, brought forth more and more numerous demands requiring a perpected plant.

THE “EGMONDER PINK”.

[Sidenote: II 243]

[Sidenote: III 112]

The old clinker built “Egmonder Pink”, formerly the largest fishing boat (35 feet long, 12 feet wide and 3 feet deep) became too small, just as soon as herring nets, constantly increasing in size and weight, began to come into use.

THE BUIS (_Bush_).

[Sidenote: II 197]

[Sidenote: II 223]

[Sidenote: II 224]

[Sidenote: II 231]

[Sidenote: III 113]

A new boat became necessary. It was built larger and with a smooth hull, thus giving the “Buis” (bush), 52 feet long, 13 feet wide and 8 feet deep. This boat had a much greater tonnage than did the “Pink”. (~Witsen~, p. 167.)

[Sidenote: II 195]

[Sidenote: II 196]

[Sidenote: II 198]

At the end of the XVth century, there were already at Enkhuizen 400 to 500 “Haringbuizen”, and there were also 40 of the so called _Grootschippers_ (large fishing boats), which could carry from 20 to 120 lasts. (~Koenen~, p. 78.) In 1590, 350 “bushes” started for the herring fishery, and, at the beginning of the XVIIth century, 1609, 3000 Dutch bushes were fishing in the North Sea, whereas in 1601 their number did not exceed 1500. (_Groen van Prinsterer Handboek_, § 100, ~Koenen~, p. 156.) These 3000 boats, said ~Koenen~, have a total of 50,000 men in their crews, and this fleet requires in its turn 9000 larger boats and 150,000 men on land and at sea to pack and transport the fish. It is estimated that 20 “Haringbuizen” give employment to 8000 persons.

A fleet of 1500 bushes passed three times through the Texel passes at the beginning of the XVIIth century. Hence it is not astonishing that the departure of this fleet should produce a great impression. Even in our day, the well known “Buisjesdag” (day of the bushes) is still spoken of.

When, at the time of the second war with England, the herring fishery was stopped on the North Sea and the fishermen continued their work on the “Zuyderzee”, some of them still succeeded in taking, in a month, 800 last (1600 tonnes) of herrings valued at 15,620 florins. A large number of decrees appear in reference to fishing (1611, 1612, 1620 and 1629).

For example:

“Niemand vermag zijn roer onklaer houden zoodat daer netten aen zoude kunnen hechten.” (No one may so hold his rudder as to foul any nets.)

“Die niet en vischt vermag niet onder de visschers te drijven”. (He who is not fishing may not sail among the fishers.) While it is laid down, at the same time, that every one should place his name on his nets so that they can be recognized.

The size of the crew and the armament were also the object of regulation, which was all the more necessary in those times of war.

[Sidenote: II 196]

A “Noortsvaerder” of 70 to 80 lasts, and a “bush” of more than 24 lasts, ought to carry at least two “gotelingen” (small cannon). These guns are still to be seen in many old engravings. Nor was bravery lacking among the fishermen. M. ~De Jonge~ (Vol. I, p. 182) gives an example of this in relating the meeting of an English craft with fishermen from Vlieland between the Skagerrack and the Doggersbank:

Scarcely had they come near each other when the English began throwing stones, for lack of other weapons. The Dutch answered by throwing fire wood, but this innocent fighting became a bore to the Hollanders. “They grappled the enemy’s boat, jumped on board of it, carry their knives in their mouths and, headed by their valiant steersman, Jonge Kees, drove the English down into the hold, which they nailed up, and returned triumphantly with their little boat to Amsterdam where a gold medal was offered to the brave leader and where the crew received the captured boat and other rewards”.

Our fishing fleet went very much to pieces toward the end of the XVIIIth and the beginning of the XIXth centuries. Matters became still worse toward the middle of the latter. If in 1843 there were still 126 fishing boats in existence, this number fell to 93 in 1852. (~Koenen~, p. 156.) But a revival took place toward the end of the XIXth century and in 1905 there were again 724 vessels in our fleet. The upward start began in 1891, as shown in the table given further on. The great improvement in means of communication increased the demand for fish as a popular article of food, (See the Inaugural Address of Professor E. Vosnack at Delft; _Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant_. October 11, 1906, first sheet, A.) while more careful packing in ice now allows fish to be carried to much more distant points.

This is why the cod and haddock fisheries have been taken up here with renewed ardor (~A. Hoogendijk~, _de Grootvisscherij_, 1895, p. 47) and the trade has become more lucrative by combining it with the herring fishery.

The herring fishery requires rather a small boat, as the latter should not pull too hard on the nets. Winter fishing requires, on the other hand, a strong fast boat, as it has to be on duty in all weathers.

Hence it follows that, in order to combine both, a new type of boat, able to satisfy these discordant conditions, has become a necessity and the old types in use are doomed, naturally, to disappear. The faster the boat, the greater the number of trips and the fresher the fish brought back.

Countries which are rich in fish can be visited with fast vessels and it is not to be wondered at that steamboats should be put into use in our country, just as in England, after the “loggers” (luggers), “Kotters” (cutters) and “sloepen” (sloops) which had preceded them. The first steam fishing craft appeared in 1897, and since then the number of these vessels has steadily increased.

The English fishing fleet has now not less than 1600 steamboats for deep sea fishing.

+----------------------------------------------------------------+ |Composition of the Dutch fishing Fleet, exclusive of the Bommen,| | from 1867 to 1905. | +-----+-------+------+-----+-----+-------+-----+-----------------+ | | | | | |LOGGER | | | | | | | | |CUTTERS| | | |YEARS|HOWKERS|SLOOPS|STEAM|MOTOR| AND |TOTAL| REMARKS | | | | |BOATS|BOATS|LOGGER-| | | | | | | | |BOMMEN | | | +-----+-------+------+-----+-----+-------+-----+-----------------+ | | /----v----\ | | | | | | |1867 | 85 | - | - | 4 | 89 |The first French | |1868 | 80 | - | - | 11 | 91 |lugger was put | |1869 | 79 | - | - | 28 | 107 |into service in | |1870 | 69 | - | - | 51 | 120 |1867. | | | \----Λ----/ | | | | | | |1871 | 45 | 13 | - | - | 64 | 122 | | |1872 | 30 | 14 | - | - | 64 | 108 | | |1873 | 23 | 11 | - | - | 68 | 102 | | |1874 | 20 | 11 | - | - | 83 | 114 | | |1875 | 14 | 11 | - | - | 90 | 115 | | |1876 | 6 | 11 | - | - | 92 | 109 | | |1877 | 8 | 11 | - | - | 94 | 113 | | |1878 | 7 | 11 | - | - | 109 | 127 | | |1879 | 4 | 10 | - | - | 114 | 128 | | |1880 | 3 | 9 | - | - | 121 | 133 | | |1881 | 2 | 9 | - | - | 127 | 138 | | |1882 | 2 | 8 | - | - | 135 | 145 | | |1883 | 2 | 8 | - | - | 144 | 154 | | |1884 | 2 | 8 | - | - | 159 | 169 | | |1885 | 2 | 8 | - | - | 174 | 184 | | |1886 | 1 | 8 | - | - | 181 | 190 | | |1887 | - | 7 | - | - | 189 | 196 | | |1888 | - | 8 | - | - | 186 | 194 | | |1889 | - | 8 | - | - | 186 | 194 | | |1890 | - | 7 | - | - | 189 | 196 | | |1891 | - | 7 | - | - | 199 | 206 | | |1892 | - | 9 | - | - | 212 | 221 | | |1893 | - | 11 | - | - | 213 | 224 | | |1894 | - | 13 | - | - | 214 | 227 | | |1895 | - | 17 | - | - | 216 | 233 | | |1896 | - | 24 | - | - | 245 | 269 | | |1897 | - | 30 | 1 | - | 252 | 283 |The first | |1898 | - | 36 | 1 | - | 258 | 295 |steamboat was put| |1899 | - | 40 | 2 | - | 269 | 311 |into service in | |1900 | - | 46 | 3 | - | 275 | 324 |1897. | |1901 | - | 47 | 7 | 1 | 300 | 355 | | |1902 | - | 52 | 25 | 1 | 327 | 405 | | |1903 | - | 58 | 44 | 1 | 410 | 513 | | |1904 | - | 58 | 44 | 1 | 432 | 535 | | |1905 | - | 48 | 38 | 1 | 425 | 512 | |

+--------------------------------------------------------------+ |Summary of the different types of boats in use for the herring| | fishery from 1896 to 1905 | +-----+-------+------+-----+-------+------+-----+--------------+ |YEARS|LUGGERS|STEAM-|MOTOR|LOGGER-|BOMMEN|TOTAL| REMARKS | | |CUTTERS|BOATS |BOATS|BOMMEN | | | | | |SLOOPS | | | | | | | +-----+-------+------+-----+-------+------+-----+--------------+ |1896 | 269 | - | - | - | 324 | 593 |See report on | |1897 | 282 | 1 | - | - | 325 | 608 |maritime | |1898 | 294 | 1 | - | - | 320 | 615 |fisheries | |1899 | 309 | 2 | - | - | 303 | 614 |1905 (p.149) | |1900 | 320 | 3 | - | 1 | 289 | 613 | | |1901 | 346 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 279 | 634 | | |1902 | 377 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 271 | 676 | | |1903 | 463 | 44 | 1 | 5 | 268 | 781 | | |1904 | 484 | 44 | 1 | 6 | 239 | 774 | | |1905 | 467 | 38 | 1 | 6 | 212 | 724 | |

Let the “Bush” be taken up again for a few moments before beginning on the description of the modern types of fishing boats.

The “Bush”, which appeared in the XVth century, remained the boat for the herring fishery until the middle of the XIXth century, when it disappeared entirely. If, in 1832, there were still 120 “Buizen” (78 at Vlaardingen, 18 at Maassluis, 1 at Delfshaven, 3 at Zwastewaal, 5 at Enkhuizen, 5 at De Rijp and 10 at Amsterdam, see ~Le Comte~, p. 46), they were, on the other hand, no longer mentioned in 1867, the year when the French lugger was brought into service. The bush was used exclusively in fishing for herring. When this latter failed, the vessels were stripped and laid up. Although their forms were full, they had a keel and sought safety in the different ports. These boats could not be grounded. Toward the last they were about 22 metres long, 6 metres wide and 3 metres deep. The dimensions of these boats had also increased gradually. (~Van Yk~ gives, p. 310, 7 Rhine feet as their depth.)

The “Bushes” carried originally three masts, of which two could be lowered and each of which carried a large sail. Later, at the end of the XVIIth century, the rig was changed and made like that of the “Howkers”. This change is shown on the old engravings. The “Bushes” carried a “statie”.

THE “KWEE” AND THE “HOEKERBUIS”.

The dimensions of the “bushes” must have increased most at the end of the XVIIIth or beginning of the XIXth century; the “statie” was then suppressed and the fish tank appeared. The boats supplied with this tank were called _Kwee_ according to ~Hoogendijk~ (p. 59). The “bush” proper which was used exclusively for the herring fishery, had no fish tank.

The “bush” which had a howker rig was also called a _Hoekerbuis_. What ~Hoogendijk~ tells about the origin of the _howker_, in his interesting book on the “Grootvisscherij”, does not seem to be wholly exact. According to him (p. 59) the “howker” is said to be descended from the “Hoekerbuis” by the suppression of the “statie”. But, according to ~Witsen~ and ~Van Yk~, the howkers have existed from the earliest times and, hence, long before the appearance of the “Hoekerbuis”.

The “howker” is met with as a contemporary of the “bush” from which it differs quite a good deal in shape; the placing of the “howker” rig on the “bush” proves that the former vessel was already in existence in the time of the latter.

THE “HOEKER” (HOWKER).

[Sidenote: II 228]

[Sidenote: II 229]

[Sidenote: II 234]

[Sidenote: III 114]

The “Hoeker” (howker) is a boat strongly rounded at the stern, showing a great deal of sheer and carrying a tank for fish. The name comes very probably from “hoek” an iron (hook) used in fishing for cod and haddock, but as the “bush” is spoken of before any mention is made of the “howker”, it must be concluded that the latter came later into use, that is to say, that cod fishing on a large scale was a much later occupation. The date of adoption of the fish tanks is not known. It is probable that this arrangement is very old, but it is possible that it was only applied much later to deep sea fishing.

THE “HARINGJAGER” AND THE “BUISCONVOYER”.

[Sidenote: II 222]

[Sidenote: II 232]

The “howker” was used not only as a fishing boat but also as a _Haringjager_ (herring hunter), a boat which is sent to get the first catch of the fleet.

The “howker” was also used as a _Buisconvoyer_ (convoy for bushes); it was then armed with several guns and intended to defend the “bushes” against the enemy. Various circumstances contributed to the complete disappearance of the “bushes” and the “howkers”; these are the more and more severe demands laid on this traffic, the combination of herring fishing with that for cod and haddock on one and the same boat, the use of cotton nets which are much lighter than the old ones so that casting the nets is less important on the boat itself. All these causes brought about the creation of boats with fine lines, so that there existed, in 1886, but one howker for 8 sloops and 181 luggers. The sloop and the lugger, which followed it came to us from France.

THE “SLOEP” (SLOOP).

[Sidenote: III 119]

The “sloop”, having at first one mast with a large boom sail and square stern (~Hoogendijk~, p. 61), was put into use at Middelharnis, Zwarte Waal and Pernis and hence is known generally as a _Pernissersloep_.

The heavy and unhandy rigging of the single mast was soon replaced by the “lugger” rig, while the square stern disappeared from among the more recent sloops, thus doing away with the principal difference between the two types of vessels.

The sloop has a fish tank and is used for carrying live fish, but it can also be employed for the herring fishery if it has a fore-mast which can be unshipped.

The new types of sloops were not favorably received by the public, says ~Hoogendijk~ (p. 55), especially in regard to the deep sea herring fishery. Their enormous tonnage gave rise to the fear that they would be too heavy for this kind of work. This loading capacity reached 40 lasts while the ordinary load for a herring boat was but 25 to 30 lasts, to say nothing of the many boats which carried scarcely more than 16 to 20 lasts.

This fear, however, was found to be groundless. The more slender shape of the boat gave less hold for the wind than did the old types and so made it superior for purposes of navigation. No one would think now of preferring the old “bushes” and “howkers” to the modern “lugger” and “sloop”.

THE LOGGER (LUGGER).

[Sidenote: II 269]

[Sidenote: II 270]

[Sidenote: III 118]

The “lugger” is also a boat of slender form and of French origin.

The construction of the boat, which has no fish tank, is made sufficiently clear by the drawings. The rigging includes two masts. The main-mast, at one-third of the length from the bow, can be lowered. The nets are cast from the bow and are taken in over the side.

THE “BOM”.

[Sidenote: II 270]

[Sidenote: II 271]

[Sidenote: III 115]

The vessels mentioned above are not, however, the only ones used for the herring fisheries. Another very remarkable type still in use is the “Bom”, a descendant of the “Egmonder Pink”. The “Bom”, built so that it can be allowed to ground, has, like the “Pink”, a very strong bottom and clinker built sides. Its length is double its beam. It carries two masts (a large and a small); the rig is fore and aft and long, narrow lee boards (about ⅓ as long as the vessel). The high tide lands the “Bommen” on the beach whence, after they had been raised by jacks and wooden rollers had been placed under them, horses drew them up on a wooden floor laid on the strand.

The creation of the “Bommenhaven” (harbor for “Bommen”) at Scheveningen makes grounding these craft unnecessary and, consequently, will cause them to disappear, because it is more advantageous to use “luggers”. There will be, therefore, no further reason for the existence of the “Bommen” and the port built for their use will cause their extinction.

This port has also led, already, to the construction of a few “Bommen” with keels, called _Loggerbommen_ or _Lelybommen_ which are intermediate between the “lugger” and the “Bom”. The first of these “Bommen” was launched in 1900, but it has not been imitated often as it is scarcely better than a “lugger”. It is clinker built and has the bow of the “Bom” with the stern of the “lugger”. The old and interesting “Bom” is no longer built; it will belong soon to history, like the “bush” and the “howker”, and with it will disappear the last vestige of the “cog”. Since 1896, the number of these vessels has been already reduced from 324 to 212.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Strength of the “Bomschuiten” Fleet, 1899 to 1905. | +-------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | | 1899 | 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | | | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | Scheveningen | 217 | 205 | 194 | 189 | 183 | 158 | 140 | | Katwijk | 67 | 68 | 69 | 71 | 74 | 70 | 66 | | Noordwijk | 15 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | | Egmond | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | Haarlem (Ymuiden) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- | | Maassluis | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | Report on ocean | | | | | | | | | fishing, 1905 | 303 | 289 | 279 | 271 | 268 | 239 | 211 | | (p. 149). | | | | | | | |

THE “GARNALENSCHUIT”.

[Sidenote: III 116]

[Sidenote: III 117]

The _Garnalenschuit_ (a boat used for shrimp fishing) resembles somewhat the original “Bom” and its resemblance to the old “Egmonder Pink” is most striking.

THE “SCHOLSCHUIT” OR “BAZAANSCHUIT” THE ZWARTEWAALSCHE GAFFELAAR.

[Sidenote: II 219]

[Sidenote: II 220]

There was met with formerly, alongside of the “bushes” and “howkers”, a fishing boat belonging to the “smack” group: the _Scholschuiten_ (boats used for the sole fishery) also called _Bazaanschuit_. At Zwartewaal, these vessels carried gaff sails (gaffeltuig) whence their name of _Zwarlewaalsche Gaffelaar_.

The Scholschuiten were shorter than the “howkers”; but fairly broad and with a strong frame. They resembled greatly the “Visscherssnikken” of Paessens and Wierum (not to be confused with the “Binnensnikken”) and the “Palingschuiten” of Heeg and Gastneer which used to carry eels to London.

The “Scholschuit”, met with at Pernis, Middelharnis and Zwartewaal, was replaced later by the “sloop”.

[Sidenote: II 202]

The whale fishery, formerly so flourishing, had disappeared completely in the XIXth century. There were 186 boats still following this industry in 1756; but this number had fallen to 66 in 1785, this change being brought about especially by the large premiums granted by England.

As this industry gradually died away in our country, it became more flourishing, on the contrary, in England. In this latter country, only 26 whaling vessels were to be found in 1750; this number increased to 152 in 1785. Premiums of 3000 to 8000 florins, given in that country according to the size of the vessels brought about the result of causing our whaling ships to disappear and only two vessels put out to sea in 1854. (~Koenen~, p. 164).

“Noortsvaerders” as well as the “Fluitschepen” already described, were used for this fishery.

The land of the “bushes” was at Vlaardingen and Enkhuizen; a few are found also at Maassluis and Delfshaven, that is: along the Meuse and in the North-West part of the Zuiderzee.

The country of the “Bom” was Scheveningen, Katwijk and Noordwijk, along the flat beach of the North Sea.

That of the “sloop” is Middelharnis, Zwartewaal and Pernis, while the “lugger” is met everywhere.

The old “howker” was found particularly at Maassluis and the “Loggerbom” or “Lelybom” at Scheveningen.

An erroneous idea of the Netherlands fishing fleet would be formed by supposing that only the 724 fishing vessels given in the above list belonged to it. Alongside of these boats, are still found many smaller boats used exclusively for this industry.

If a glance be cast over the Report on the Netherlands Ocean Fishery for 1905, it will be seen that, in this year (p. 342), the fleet contained in all 5334 vessels with a total tonnage of 234,766 tons and a total of 20,141 men in the crews. These figures for 1891 were, respectively: 4427, 164,357 and 15,482.