A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of MassachusettsMassachusetts. Commissioners on Fisheries and Game
Science
A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of Massachusetts
Massachusetts. Commissioners on Fisheries and Game
Shellfish fisheries -- Massachusetts
_Deep-water Quahauging._--Both power and sail boats are used in
deep-water quahauging, though power is gradually replacing the old
method of sailing, because of its increased efficiency and saving of
time. When the quahaug grounds are reached, the boat is anchored at
both bow and stern, one continuous rope connecting both anchors, which
are from 500 to 600 feet apart, in such a way that the bow of the
boat is always headed against the tide. A sufficient amount of slack
is required for the proper handling of the boat, which can be moved
along this anchor "road" as on a cable, and a large territory raked.
The rake is lowered from the bow of the boat, the length of the handle
being regulated by the depth of the water, and the teeth worked into
the sandy or muddy bottom. The quahauger then takes firm hold of the
cross-piece at the end of the handle, and works the rake back to the
stern of the boat, where it is hauled in and the contents dumped on the
culling board or picked out of the net. In hauling in the net the rake
is turned so that the opening is on top, and the mud and sand is washed
out before it is taken on board. The long pole passes across the boat
and extends into the water on the opposite side when the rake is hauled
in. This process is repeated until the immediate locality becomes
unprofitable, when the boat is shifted along the cable.
The usual time for quahauging is from half ebb to half flood tide, thus
avoiding the extra labor of high-water raking. Deep-water raking is
especially hard labor, and six hours constitute a good day's work.
_Boats._--Nearly all kinds of boats are utilized in the quahaug
fishery, and are of all values, from the $10 second-hand skiff to
the 38-foot power seine boat, which costs $1,500. The shallow-water
industry requires but little invested capital. Dories and skiffs are
the principal boats, costing from $10 to $25. Occasionally a sail
or power boat may be used in this fishery. The deep-water industry
requires larger and stronger boats. These are either power or sail
boats, often auxiliary "cats," and their value runs anywhere from $150
to $1,500. The average price for the sail boats is $250, while the
power boats are assessed at $350. At Orleans several large power seine
boats, valued at about $1,500, are used in the quahaug fishery. These
seine boats are 30 to 38 feet over all, have low double cabins, and are
run by 8 to 12 horse-power gasolene engines. The ordinary power boats
have gasolene engines from 2 to 6 horse-power. In this way each method
of quahauging has its own boats, which are adapted for its needs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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