Mackinaw boat
TheMackinaw boatis a loose, non-standardized term for a light, opensailboatorrowboatused in the interior ofNorth Americaduring thefur tradingera. Within this term two differentMackinaw boatsevolved: one for use on the upperGreat Lakes,and the other for use on the upperMissouri Riverand its principal tributaries.
Ancestors[edit]
The common origin of allMackinaw boatswas the Native Americancanoe.With its lightness, speed, cargo capacity, and double-ended flexibility, the canoe delighted fur traders ofEuropeanorigin. However, the Indian canoe design was not stable with amastandsail.By contrast the Mackinaw boat, or generically "fish boat," held its own with superior sailing qualities in the more open water of the Great Lakes. It could be used, being used for long line, bottom net, and pond-net fishing operations.
Development[edit]
The addition of a retractablecenterboardmade it possible to raise a small mast and sail over a canoe-shapedhull.This breakthrough probably took place some time in the late 17th century or early 18th century at theStraits of Mackinac,hence the name,Mackinaw boat.[1]
With the help of a sail and a favorable wind, a Mackinaw boat could cover an equivalent distance with much greater ease than by rowing withpaddles.The Mackinaw boat quickly became a favorite on the upper Great Lakes. By the time of the dominance of theAmerican Fur Companyin 1815-1836, the Mackinaw boat was almost the commodity vessel in this region. Thebateauwas another common freight vessel design of the era, similar to the Mackinaw.
The fur company's men so liked the Mackinaw boat that when asked to build, paddle, and pole light cargo boats up the Missouri River to the company's new trading region inDakota TerritoryandMontana Territory,they called the boatsmackinaws,even though it was comparatively difficult to move a boat up the Missouri River by sail power. The Missouri Rivermackinawmay have borne some similarities to the riverpiroguedeveloped by French colonists inLouisiana Territoryand adapted by the Americans as early as the time ofLewis and Clark.
Mackinawswere seen on the Missouri River as far west asFort Benton, Montana,the head of navigation.
Fishing boat[edit]
With the decline of the fur trade in the Upper Great Lakes in the late 1830s, the Mackinaw boats becametraditional fishing boats.With its speed and cargo capacity, the boat was ideally suited forcommercial fishing.Prior to refrigeration, it was necessary to haul a catch of cleaned fish rapidly to afishing stationwhere the catch could be plunged intobrineand preserved withsalt.
A standard Mackinaw boat used in fishing was 18–24 feet (5.4-7.2m) long. Like its canoe ancestor, the boat was flat-bottomed and could be hauled up onto a beach or pebbled shoreline.[1]The Mackinaw boat could beschooner-rigged, although there was no consistency on this point. The earliest incarnation of what has become TheBurger Boat Company,then operating as "H. Burger Shipyard," began producing 20' to 30' versions of the Mackinaw boat out ofManitowoc,Wisconsinby the mid-1860's.
The Mackinaw boat was also used for light point-to-point transport and communication onLake Huron,Lake Michigan,and, particularly,Lake Superior.In this role, it served into the early 20th century.[1]
The Mackinaw boat today[edit]
The Mackinaw boat hull's relative flexibility and efficient movement through the water became less important in the 20th century with the invention of theoutboard motorand other powerboat innovations. Few new Mackinaw boats were built after the 1910s. Agaff-riggedMackinaw boat, theEdith Jane(built about 1909) is preserved inside a sealed shelter on the waterfront inSt. Ignace, Michigan;it may be the final Mackinaw boat in existence that was built as a working vessel.[1]A few new Mackinaw boats began to be built after 1990 for explicit purposes of historical re-enactment and skills preservation.
External links[edit]
References[edit]
- ^abcdGross, Judy (March 25, 2021)."Edith Jane'sPreservation Honors the Local History of Mackinaw Boats ".The St. Ignace News.St. Ignace, Mich.RetrievedMarch 28,2021.
