The North Atlantic Fisheries, 1100-1976 - University of Hull

15 lasts. Its average crew was about twelve men. The hoeker disappeared
only late in the nineteenth century. 194
The most renowned nineteenth-century vessel in Dutch coastal
fishing was the bomschuit. This single-masted vessel with fore and aft
rigging was flat-bottomed. When not fishing the bomschuits were stored
by tens on the beaches near the fishing communities along Holland’s
shore. Gales could play havoc with them. The last bomschuit was used in
1915, eleven years after Scheveningen had finally been equipped with a
harbour. In the late nineteenth century, the bomschuits were attractive
and often centrally positioned objects in the seascapes by many a painter
from The Netherlands and from abroad, who frequented the seaside
resorts.
A good example of innovative ideas in fishing communities is the
development of the slup in Vlaardingen in the mid-nineteenth century.
The slup was a boat used for the catch of fresh fish, but was now enlarged
for the so-called “far” herring and cod fishery. J. Ploeg, a modelmaker,
has carefully analyzed this development as well as the introduction of the
French lugger into the Netherlands in 1866. 195
World War I was a boom period for the Dutch fisheries. Huge profits
were made, but also great losses of ships and human lives were suffered.
The North Sea became so dangerous that in November 1917 steam
trawlers were forbidden to sail. A group of shipowners in the new fishing
town of IJmuiden wanted to continue and demonstrated creative ideas.
They bought up old tugs, converted them into fishing boats and used
them for the coastal fishery, which was still permitted. These “new”
types of fishing vessel were obviously redundant when the war was over.
In 1919 and 1920 no less than thirteen vessels sank in uncertain
circumstances, but without loss of life. The Raad voor de Scheepvaart
investigated the disasters but could never provide positive evidence of
evil intent. 196
194 Van Vliet, Vissers, 42-5; Van Beylen, Schepen, 134-43; Hoving, Nicolaes Witsens
Scheep-bouw-konst, 342-8.
195 J. Ploeg, ‘Sloepen en loggers. Nieuwe scheepstypen voor de aloude Noordzeevisserij
1800-1875’ (1993), manuscript available in the Fishery Museum at Vlaardingen and the
Department of Maritime History, University of Leiden.
196
Research seminar paper by D.E.D. van Iterson 1995 (Department of Maritime
History, University of Leiden).
117