THE “EGMONDER PINK”.
The old clinker built “Egmonder Pink”, formerly the largest fishing boat (35 feet long, 12 feet wide and 3 feet deep) became too small, just as soon as herring nets, constantly increasing in size and weight, began to come into use.
THE BUIS (Bush).
[II 197]
[II 223]
[II 224]
[II 231]
[III 113]
A new boat became necessary. It was built larger and with a smooth hull, thus giving the “Buis” (bush), 52 feet long, 13 feet wide and 8 feet deep. This boat had a much greater tonnage than did the “Pink”. (WITSEN, p. 167.)
At the end of the XVth century, there were already at Enkhuizen 400 to 500 “Haringbuizen”, and there were also 40 of the so called Grootschippers (large fishing boats), which could carry from 20 to 120 lasts. (KOENEN, p. 78.) In 1590, 350 “bushes” started for the herring fishery, and, at the beginning of the XVIIth century, 1609, 3000 Dutch bushes were fishing in the North Sea, whereas in 1601 their number did not exceed 1500. (Groen van Prinsterer Handboek, § 100, KOENEN, p. 156.) These 3000 boats, said KOENEN, have a total of 50,000 men in their crews, and this fleet requires in its turn 9000 larger boats and 150,000 men on land and at sea to pack and transport the fish. It is estimated that 20 “Haringbuizen” give employment to 8000 persons.
A fleet of 1500 bushes passed three times through the Texel passes at the beginning of the XVIIth century. Hence it is not astonishing that the departure of this fleet should produce a great impression. Even in our day, the well known “Buisjesdag” (day of the bushes) is still spoken of.
When, at the time of the second war with England, the herring fishery was stopped on the North Sea and the fishermen continued their work on the “Zuyderzee”, some of them still succeeded in taking, in a month, 800 last (1600 tonnes) of herrings valued at 15,620 florins. A large number of decrees appear in reference to fishing (1611, 1612, 1620 and 1629).
For example:
“Niemand vermag zijn roer onklaer houden zoodat daer netten aen zoude kunnen hechten.” (No one may so hold his rudder as to foul any nets.)
“Die niet en vischt vermag niet onder de visschers te drijven.” (He who is not fishing may not sail among the fishers.) While it is laid down, at the same time, that every one should place his name on his nets so that they can be recognized.
The size of the crew and the armament were also the object of regulation, which was all the more necessary in those times of war.
A “Noortsvaerder” of 70 to 80 lasts, and a “bush” of more than 24 lasts, ought to carry at least two “gotelingen” (small cannon). These guns are still to be seen in many old engravings. Nor was bravery lacking among the fishermen. M. DE JONGE (Vol. I, p. 182) gives an example of this in relating the meeting of an English craft with fishermen from Vlieland between the Skagerrack and the Doggersbank:
Scarcely had they come near each other when the English began throwing stones, for lack of other weapons. The Dutch answered by throwing fire wood, but this innocent fighting became a bore to the Hollanders. “They grappled the enemy’s boat, jumped on board of it, carry their knives in their mouths and, headed by their valiant steersman, Jonge Kees, drove the English down into the hold, which they nailed up, and returned triumphantly with their little boat to Amsterdam where a gold medal was offered to the brave leader and where the crew received the captured boat and other rewards”.
Our fishing fleet went very much to pieces toward the end of the XVIIIth and the beginning of the XIXth centuries. Matters became still worse toward the middle of the latter. If in 1843 there were still 126 fishing boats in existence, this number fell to 93 in 1852. (KOENEN, p. 156.) But a revival took place toward the end of the XIXth century and in 1905 there were again 724 vessels in our fleet. The upward start began in 1891, as shown in the table given further on. The great improvement in means of communication increased the demand for fish as a popular article of food, (See the Inaugural Address of Professor E. Vosnack at Delft; Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant. October 11, 1906, first sheet, A.) while more careful packing in ice now allows fish to be carried to much more distant points.
This is why the cod and haddock fisheries have been taken up here with renewed ardor (A. HOOGENDIJK, de Grootvisscherij, 1895, p. 47) and the trade has become more lucrative by combining it with the herring fishery.
The herring fishery requires rather a small boat, as the latter should not pull too hard on the nets. Winter fishing requires, on the other hand, a strong fast boat, as it has to be on duty in all weathers.
Hence it follows that, in order to combine both, a new type of boat, able to satisfy these discordant conditions, has become a necessity and the old types in use are doomed, naturally, to disappear. The faster the boat, the greater the number of trips and the fresher the fish brought back.
Countries which are rich in fish can be visited with fast vessels and it is not to be wondered at that steamboats should be put into use in our country, just as in England, after the “loggers” (luggers), “Kotters” (cutters) and “sloepen” (sloops) which had preceded them. The first steam fishing craft appeared in 1897, and since then the number of these vessels has steadily increased.
The English fishing fleet has now not less than 1600 steamboats for deep sea fishing.
| Composition of the Dutch fishing Fleet, exclusive of the Bommen, from 1867 to 1905. | |||||||
| YEARS | HOWKERS | SLOOPS | STEAM | MOTOR | LOGGER | TOTAL | REMARKS |
 | |||||||
| 1867 | 85 | — | — | 4 | 89 | The first French lugger was put into service in 1867. | |
| 1868 | 80 | — | — | 11 | 91 | ||
| 1869 | 79 | — | — | 28 | 107 | ||
| 1870 | 69 | — | — | 51 | 120 | ||
 | |||||||
| 1871 | 45 | 13 | — | — | 64 | 122 | |
| 1872 | 30 | 14 | — | — | 64 | 108 | |
| 1873 | 23 | 11 | — | — | 68 | 102 | |
| 1874 | 20 | 11 | — | — | 83 | 114 | |
| 1875 | 14 | 11 | — | — | 90 | 115 | |
| 1876 | 6 | 11 | — | — | 92 | 109 | |
| 1877 | 8 | 11 | — | — | 94 | 113 | |
| 1878 | 7 | 11 | — | — | 109 | 127 | |
| 1879 | 4 | 10 | — | — | 114 | 128 | |
| 1880 | 3 | 9 | — | — | 121 | 133 | |
| 1881 | 2 | 9 | — | — | 127 | 138 | |
| 1882 | 2 | 8 | — | — | 135 | 143 | |
| 1883 | 2 | 8 | — | — | 144 | 154 | |
| 1884 | 2 | 8 | — | — | 159 | 169 | |
| 1885 | 2 | 8 | — | — | 174 | 184 | |
| 1886 | 1 | 8 | — | — | 181 | 190 | |
| 1887 | — | 7 | — | — | 189 | 196 | |
| 1888 | — | 8 | — | — | 186 | 194 | |
| 1889 | — | 8 | — | — | 186 | 194 | |
| 1890 | — | 7 | — | — | 189 | 196 | |
| 1891 | — | 7 | — | — | 199 | 206 | |
| 1892 | — | 9 | — | — | 212 | 221 | |
| 1893 | — | 11 | — | — | 213 | 224 | |
| 1894 | — | 13 | — | — | 213 | 227 | |
| 1895 | — | 17 | — | — | 216 | 233 | |
| 1896 | — | 24 | — | — | 245 | 269 | |
| 1897 | — | 30 | 1 | — | 252 | 283 | The first steamboat was put into service in 1897. |
| 1898 | — | 36 | 1 | — | 258 | 295 | |
| 1899 | — | 40 | 2 | — | 269 | 311 | |
| 1900 | — | 46 | 3 | — | 275 | 324 | |
| 1901 | — | 47 | 7 | 1 | 300 | 355 | |
| 1902 | — | 52 | 25 | 1 | 327 | 405 | |
| 1903 | — | 58 | 44 | 1 | 410 | 513 | |
| 1904 | — | 58 | 44 | 1 | 432 | 535 | |
| 1905 | — | 48 | 38 | 1 | 425 | 512 | |
| Summary of the different types of boats in use for the herring fishery from 1896 to 1905 | |||||||
| YEARS | LUGGERS | STEAM | MOTOR | LOGGER- | BOMMEN | TOTAL | REMARKS |
| 1896 | 269 | — | — | — | 324 | 593 | See report on maritime fisheries 1905 (p. 149) |
| 1897 | 282 | 1 | — | — | 325 | 608 | |
| 1898 | 294 | 1 | — | — | 320 | 615 | |
| 1899 | 309 | 2 | — | — | 303 | 614 | |
| 1900 | 320 | 3 | — | 1 | 289 | 612 | |
| 1901 | 346 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 279 | 634 | |
| 1902 | 377 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 271 | 676 | |
| 1903 | 463 | 44 | 1 | 5 | 268 | 781 | |
| 1904 | 484 | 44 | 1 | 6 | 239 | 774 | |
| 1905 | 467 | 38 | 1 | 6 | 212 | 724 | |
Let the “Bush” be taken up again for a few moments before beginning on the description of the modern types of fishing boats.
The “Bush”, which appeared in the XVth century, remained the boat for the herring fishery until the middle of the XIXth century, when it disappeared entirely. If, in 1832, there were still 120 “Buizen” (78 at Vlaardingen, 18 at Maassluis, 1 at Delfshaven, 3 at Zwastewaal, 5 at Enkhuizen, 5 at De Rijp and 10 at Amsterdam, see LE COMTE, p. 46), they were, on the other hand, no longer mentioned in 1867, the year when the French lugger was brought into service. The bush was used exclusively in fishing for herring. When this latter failed, the vessels were stripped and laid up. Although their forms were full, they had a keel and sought safety in the different ports. These boats could not be grounded. Toward the last they were about 22 metres long, 6 metres wide and 3 metres deep. The dimensions of these boats had also increased gradually. (VAN YK gives, p. 310, 7 Rhine feet as their depth.)
The “Bushes” carried originally three masts, of which two could be lowered and each of which carried a large sail. Later, at the end of the XVIIth century, the rig was changed and made like that of the “Howkers”. This change is shown on the old engravings. The “Bushes” carried a “statie”.