Eastern-Rig Dragger Roann

Built in 1947 by Newbert and Wallace of Thomaston, Maine, the 60-foot-1-inch-long Roann worked New England waters for 50 years and was one of the last surviving examples of the efficient offshore fishing boats that replaced sailing schooners such as the L.A. Dunton. Powered by a diesel engine rather than sails, Roann represented a revolutionary advance in technology. By dragging a huge conical net called an otter trawl along the sea bed, her crew of three to five men could catch more flounder and cod than a dozen of the Dunton's dorymen with hooks and line. Roann was an eastern-rig dragger because she hauled her catch in over the side rather than over the stern, unlike western-rig draggers such as the Florence. Eastern-rig draggers like Roann have since been replaced by larger steel-hulled stern trawlers that use net reels and stern ramps to fish more safely and productively.

Mystic, Connecticut · United States