Gloucester Mackerel Seiners

In "Gloucester Mackerel Seiners," the schooner is on its way to mackerel fishing grounds. Once near a school of fish, a dory and a seine boat will be launched and the schooner will heave-to or sail slowly nearby. The dory crew will hold the end of the seining net and serve as a placemark for the seine boat. They will encircle the school, dropping lengths of net into the water along the way. When the seine boat returns to the dory, the seine boat crew will "purse the seine," pulling a line at the net's bottom and creating a bag shape. Then, the net will be hauled in from the top, called "drying up the net," to reduce the circumference. The schooner will then move in on the opposite side of the net and the mackerel will be scooped up with hand nets and stored in the schooner's hold.