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1920, Wednesday, July 5, 2023
At 0725 this morning we left Lumsden in thick fog. We were continued north, headed for the town of Seldom Come By on Fogo Island. A run of about 35 miles. The fog kept us watchful for growlers and ice bergs. It is part of sailing these waters at this time of year. In the afternoon, as the fog lifted we did sight three large bergs out to sea.
Tonight we are tied to the fish plant wharf in Seldom Harbour. The town is called Seldom Come By, one of many wonderful Newfoundland place names. Locals say the name of the town is from the era when the Portuguese still fished these waters. They frequently brought their vessels into the harbors on the far side of Fogo Idland, closer to the fishing grounds. Less frequently, they would come into this Harbour. They "Seldom come by."
Today's fisheries for crab, shrimp, sea cucumber, cod and turbot around Fogo are all done during about six months, April through September. It makes for long winters. There are three fish plants around the island that process the catch. It is all managed by the Fogo Island Fisheries Co-op.
The Co-op was born out of the Fisherman's Union Trading Company. That entity started in a wharf building here in the late 1960s when the inshore cod fishery was starting to dwindle. The fisherman banded together to start building larger loneliness boats to harvest the fisheries further from shore.
Today we went inside the old Fisherman's Union Trading building, with green interior. It was an earlier merchant's building, similar in design to a Hudson Bay Company Trading post. Around the edges of the Harbour one can see aging fishing stages with boats tied alongside. Fogo still has a busy fishery employing many islanders at sea and ashore in the fish plants.
Photos below...
Bill
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