Eastern
Rig Dragger
In
2003, the sanctuary located an eastern rig dragger, a style of
fishing trawler common to the waters of Massachusetts Bay in the
20th century. These gasoline or diesel powered vessels were a
transitional design between earlier wooden sailing schooners and
modern-day steel trawlers.
An eastern rig dragger in Woods Hole, MA is similar to the shipwreck
located in the sanctuary in 2003.
Eastern
rig draggers have a large wheel-house at the stern with the work
deck and fish hold amidships. The fishermen deploy and retrieve
the trawl net over the vessel's side. Eastern rig draggers still
actively fish in the sanctuary, combing its waters for groundfish
such as cod and flounder.
A power driven winch is used to haul the catch onboard this eastern
rig dragger in 1937. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
The crew of the eastern rig dragger Alden stores the catch in
the fish hold in 1934. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
This
unidentified eastern rig dragger is being investigated by the
sanctuary to uncover its identity. In 2003, researchers examined
the site with an ROV, photographing diagnostic features, such
as its winch and color scheme. These features will help date the
shipwreck to a specific time period and allow it to be compared
to the historical record to uncover its identity.
The shipwreck's bow. Courtesy of NOAA/SBNMS,
NURC-UConn, and the Science Channel.
A bitt on the shipwreck's forward deck. Courtesy of
NOAA/SBNMS, NURC-UConn, and the Science Channel.
A winch used to bring in the fishing net sits
on the shipwreck's main deck. Courtesy of NOAA/SBNMS,
NURC-UConn, and the Science Channel.
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