Getting a Handle on the Georgia Strait Handliner, a Vernacular Boat from British Columbia

Chapter
First Online:
Part of the When the Land Meets the Sea book series (ACUA)

Abstract

Typological characteristics are established for a sample of nine boats employed in the commercially marginal fishing of salmon using handlines in the Georgia Strait, located in south coastal British Columbia, between about 1900 and 1940. Comparisons are made with data samples from superficially similar vernacular types found in other parts of the North American continent. Potentially, this systematic approach to the material culture of small craft may reveal immigrant influences of ethnic or geographic origin. In this case study, unexpected intra-regional variations in form are revealed overlaying a foundational set of characteristics unique to the region. Aspects of cooperative strategies that lie largely outside the historic record are hinted at. Finally, a significant contribution to the development of the type on the part of aboriginal craftsmen is suggested by the unique form of the boats.

Keywords

British Columbia Twentieth century Salmon First Nations Fishery Flat Canoe 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

References

  1. Adney, E. T., & Chapelle, H. I. (1983). The bark canoes and skin boats of North America. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press.Google Scholar
  2. Chapelle, H. I. (1951). American small sailing craft: Their design, development and construction. New York: W.W. Norton.Google Scholar
  3. Cobb, J. N. (1916). Pacific coast fishing methods. In Pacific Fisherman yearbook, Seattle, WA (pp. 19–33).Google Scholar
  4. Collins, J. W. (1892). The fishing vessels and boats of the Pacific Coast of the United States. In Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission, 1890, Washington, DC (pp. 13–48).Google Scholar
  5. Damron, J. E. (1975). The emergence of salmon trolling on the American north-west coast: A maritime historical geography. Doctoral dissertation, Department of Geography, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.Google Scholar
  6. Durham, B. (1960). Canoes and kayaks of Western America. Seattle, WA: Shorey Books.Google Scholar
  7. Evans, H. (1975). Day of the hand troller. In H. White (Ed.), Raincoast chronicles: First five (pp. 210–214). Madiera Park, British Columbia, Canada: Harbour.Google Scholar
  8. Forester, J. E. & Forester, A. D. (1975). Fishing: British Columbia’s Commercial Fishing History. Saanichton, B.C.Google Scholar
  9. Fuller, B. A. G. (2002). A catalogue of small boat plans from mystic seaport. Mystic, CT: Mystic Seaport.Google Scholar
  10. Hyman, F. J. (1966). Early fishing on the Mendocino Coast. San Francisco, CA: J. Porter Shaw Library, National Maritime Museum.Google Scholar
  11. Jennings, J. (Ed.). (2002). The canoe: A living tradition. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Firefly.Google Scholar
  12. Knight, R. (1978). Indians at work: An informal history of native Indian labour in British Columbia 1858–1930. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: New Star Books.Google Scholar
  13. Loken, M. (1981). The Davis boat (Traditional small craft of the Northwest, Vol. 2). Seattle, WA: Seattle Center for Wooden Boats.Google Scholar
  14. McKee, E. (1983). Working boats of Britain: Their shape and purpose. London: Conway Maritime Press.Google Scholar
  15. Moore, C. D. (1992). Salmon fishing boats of the North American Pacific Coast in the era of oar and sail. Master’s thesis, Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. Retrieved from http://nautarch.tamu.edu/anth/abstracts/Moore.htm
  16. Morley, A. (1958). The lonely hand-liner. In R. Watters (Ed.), British Columbia: A centennial anthology (pp. 139–144). Toronto, Ontario, Canada: McClelland & Stewart.Google Scholar
  17. Morris, R. (1996). Sandy Jones and the Kawasemi: the last of their kind. In P. A. Robson & M. Skog (eds.), Working the tides: A portrait of Canada’s West Coast fishery (pp. 34–39). Madeira Park, British Columbia, Canada: Harbour.Google Scholar
  18. Pemberton, J. D. (1860). Facts and figures relating to Vancouver Island and British Columbia. London: Longman, Green, Longman and Robert.Google Scholar
  19. Simson, J. (1983). Gastown: Everybody knew everybody. In H. White (Ed.), Raincoast chronicles six/ten (pp. 168–175). Madiera Park, BC.Google Scholar
  20. Smith, P. (1857). The fish and fisheries of the Pacific Coast: Salmon fishing in California and Oregon. California Farmer, 8(20), 153.Google Scholar
  21. Smith, H. M. (1895). Statistical report on the fisheries of the Pacific Coast of the United States in 1894. In Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission, 1894, Washington, DC (Vol. 14, pp. 233–288).Google Scholar
  22. Smith, C. L. (1976). Intracultural variation: Decline and diversity in North Pacific fisheries. Human Organization, 35(1), 55–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Tanner, Z. L. (1890). Explorations of the fishing grounds of Alaska, Washington Territory, and Oregon, during 1888, by the U.S. Fish Commission Steamer Albatross. In Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission, 1888, Washington, DC (Vol. 9, pp. 1–92).Google Scholar
  24. Templeton, J. (1977). Interview on three tapes. Part of the Genesis III Project, by the Campbell River & District Historical Society. Sound and Moving Image Division, Provincial Archives of British Columbia, Victoria, BC.Google Scholar
  25. Trower, P. (1976). Skiffs, gillnets and poverty-sticks. In H. White (Ed.), Raincoast chronicles: First five collector’s edition (pp. 230–234). Madeira Park, British Columbia, Canada: Harbour.Google Scholar
  26. Waterman, T. T., & Coffin, G. (1920). Types of canoes on Puget Sound. Indian Notes and Monographs, 3. Seattle, WA.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Golder Associates Ltd.VancouverCanada

Personalised recommendations