Banks Dory - Mother Ships

Mother Ships

Banks dories were carried aboard mother ships, usually fishing schooners, and used for handlining cod on the Grand Banks. Prior to the introduction of Banks dories, fish were caught with handlines from the mother ship alone. Weather permitting, the dories were launched early each day with one or two crew and bait from previous catches. During the day they would return several times to the mother ship and unload their catch.

The barquentine, Gazela Primeiro, while not a schooner, was one of the last of the dory mother ships. She had a long association with dories and the Grand Banks cod industry and made her final voyage as late as 1969.

Banks dories have been capable of surviving long voyages, some unintentional, when the fishermen became separated from their mother ships. One of the more famous adventures was by Howard Blackburn, who survived 5 days in the North Atlantic in January.

A Banks dory is seen in Winslow Homer's painting The Fog Warning.