The union did much to institute an orderly conduct of lobster fishing from the very early days of the industry. It died out during the first World War when many of the young fishermen joined the services. The first president, Alfred Gardiner and many of the other members were casualties of the war.

A post—script on Jim Hayter:

Mike MacCormack lived close to the Launching connection with Boughton Island. He recalls Jim Hayter as a great neighbor. He was originally from High Bank, near Wood islands. Jim had a 3 hp engine in his boat and later installed twin engines. Jim had a relative, Henry Hayter, living in Mitchell River and Mike accompanied Jim on an expedition by boat to Mitchell River. The object was to pick blueberries on some of Henry’s land. This seems to reinforce the statement by Muriel MacKenzie that there were no blueberries on Boughton Island.

About forty years ago I had a chance to buy a surplus boat house for use as a storage building at our vacation spot in De Gros Marsh. It came from Launching Bay and it was 24 feet by 12 feet. It was Jim Hayter’s boat house. It had a hatch in the rear and double doors on the front. A cable through the back hatch enabled Jim to take his boat inside for the winter. Ruth Guick Miller remembers turning the windlass to house Uncle Jim’s boat at the end of the season. His fishing boat was less than 24 feet in length. Joe Christian fishes today on what is still known as Jim Hayter’s Ground. His wood-hulled boat, built by Kenny Johnston, is 41 feet overall with a 15 foot beam. Jim Hayter’s boathouse could fit easily on Joe’s boat and leave room to spare. While the name, Jim Hayter’s Grounds, survived to this day, his boat house, alas, succumbed to the heavy snow of 2001.

Changes in the boats used in the lobster fishery were more than simply the change from dories and other boats propelled by oars or wind power. The 5 horsepower engines that replaced oars and sail were a welcome change. The use of engines meant the accessibility of fishing grounds farther away. Today a finished fibre-glass boat without engine, drive-train or electronic gear runs to $120,000. A wood hull is about half that. The difference is a 20 year life-span for wood as against unlimited life for a fibreglass hull.

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