Boat Fire, Mid 1950's

Since most of these vessels are motorized, this fire must have happened after 1951, when power boats were legalized to fish in Bristol Bay.

The boat that is burning, was a Bristol Bay double-ender. These wooden boats were powered by sail or a pair of fourteen-foot oars. They would have a two-person crew and frequently carried a small stove for cooking. Maybe this was the cause of the fire.

Often a line of sailboats would be towed out to sea by a tug called a monkey boat. After 1951, some of these double-enders had motors installed in them in order to compete. There is no evidence to indicate that this sailboat had been converted to power, though the mast is not up. Perhaps the mast and sails have burned already. Maybe they lowered the mast when they fished. If you look closely, you can see a net still in the water. (Look for the dark wooden floats on the net.)

©Photo by Harold Hawkinson on 35 mm slide film with a Bolsey camera

The picture used on this page is COPYRIGHTED.