Sardine Carrier Regina M

Regina M. was a carry-away boat built in Perry, Maine, in 1900 to transport herring from weirs and seine nets to coastal canneries, part of a major fishery that grew after small herring began to be canned as sardines at Eastport, Maine, in 1875 and larger herring were preserved by smoking. Herring moved in huge schools along the eastern Maine coast, and strong demand for herring and southern European sardines among immigrants from Europe made the fish valuable to food packers selling canned products throughout the U.S. Regina M. had a large open hold for fish, a small cabin for a two-man crew, and a double-ended shape that made it easy to build and seaworthy. By 1910 it had been fitted with an auxiliary engine in a small cabin aft, helping it work against wind and tide on trips between the weirs and the canneries of Lubec, Maine. By the 1930s, motor-powered sardine carriers had replaced most sailing carry-away boats, and more recently changing tastes and environmental factors greatly reduced demand for herring, shrinking the industry from 117 coastal canneries in 1900 to less than 5 operating herring canneries today. In 1941 Regina M. ended its career as a commercial vessel, came to Mystic Seaport Museum, and was restored in the 1950s and again in the 1990s to more accurately represent an auxiliary-powered carry-away boat of the 1910-25 period.

Mystic, Connecticut · United States