A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a bit about the different types of boats that can be seen on Casco Bay on a busy summer day. There are watercraft of all different sizes and shapes that are powered by a variety of paddle, sail and motor. Typically, we think of working commercial boats as motor boats — versus pleasure boats that can also be powered by paddle or sail. But this has not always been the case.

Sailing, in particular, was once the power of the seas. Locally built schooners plied the waters of the Northwest Atlantic bringing goods up and down the coast as well as all over the world. The Pennell family, for example, the namesake of Brunswick’s Pennellville peninsula, was renowned for building their ships right on Pennelville’s shores and sailing them to faraway places like Venice and India.

Sailing wasn’t just for trade ships, however. It was also the traditional power source for commercial fishing boats. Before there were engines, fishing boats had to rely on wind power to get them from place to place. It’s one thing for trade ships to navigate long distances under sail and with variable weather conditions. But, imagine trying to sort out setting and hauling a net under sail. Good thing for paddles and oars as well!

This might seem like a thing of the past, but if you look around, you are likely to still see sails on commercial fishing boats. I wrote previously about one unusual feature of a lobster boat – a tuna tower (a tall tower above the wheelhouse that is used for spotting fish both far away and deep under the surface). Another sometimes feature of lobster boats is a sail. This might seem strange given the familiar rumble of the diesel engines of most of these boats. But, a sail on a lobster boat does not provide its power. Instead, it serves another purpose.

While sails are most often used to capture the wind and provide forward motion for a boat, they also can be used to put the brakes on that motion. If you keep a sail perfectly aligned down the center of your boat, it will keep your boat headed straight into the wind. If you’ve ever sailed before, this is known as being “in irons”. It isn’t good if you’re trying to get anywhere. But, if you’re trying to put your sails up or take them down, it is the way to go. Or if you are a fishing boat, it is handy when trying to tend to your gear – like hauling up a trap or a net. This is the function of the little “stern” sail that you see on the back (stern) of some lobster boats in the bay.

It is easy to perceive a divide between pleasure boats and working boats in the bay in terms of their designs and their types of activities. But, in fact, there is a good deal of cross over. All of these boats and all of these people are enjoying the same space and sometimes in ways that are more similar to each other than might initially be apparent. There is a great deal of knowledge and understanding that comes from learning about the history of boating in Casco Bay and the many ways that people have enjoyed and worked on the bay over time.

Perhaps some of the gaps between all of those sharing the water could be lessened by finding these commonalities and drawing upon the rich heritage of the people who have enjoyed being on the water for generations.

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