From collection National Fisherman Collection
LB2012.15.65
Many sailing gillnet boats, one mast, few stepped, most down. Numbered on bow with "C.R.P.A." -- Columbia River Packers Assn. Bristol Bay. "Credit the Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria, Oregon. Return to Bruce Weilepp, 589 Harrison, Astoria OR, 97103." If you wanted to fish for sockeye salmon in Alaska's Bristol Bay before 1951, it was in an oar and sail-powered boat with gillnets - the net rule still holds. Fishermen spent their summer fishing season in these sailing gillnetters with just a canopy over the bow for protection at night or in bad weather. Why the "no-engine" rule? Some claimed that canneries did not want to spend the money for motors and their repair, whereas a Squarehead, Finn or Italian fisherman could be thrown away when worn out. The bow letters C.R.P.A. refer to Oregon's Columbia River Packers Association, which owned these Bristol Bay sailing gillnetters. [ref: NF (no date) p.44]
