Not what you think: the term hooker here originated from the Dutch hoeker, a two-masted fishing vessel that fished with hook and line. Over time the name became a belittling, although affectionate English term for these small types of sailing vessel.
Hookers were ideal for serving the many shallow coastal ports and wharves in Tasman and Golden bays. The Tyree pic shows small sailing craft in the 1890s at Nelson wharf. The double-masted vessel at centre left is the 49-foot (15-metre) Comet built by J.J. Ricketts at Torrent Bay in 1883. Most of Nelson's fleet of small sea-going craft were cutters or schooners, between one and 20 tons, which were dubbed ‘Blind Bay [Tasman Bay] hookers’. Many were built in local bays where there was available timber. The pile of rocks in the foreground is likely to be ballast that a hooker has swapped for cargo.
These vessels were the subject of a River Press book published a few years ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment