Co-operator II Log Book

The following was provided by Ernie Walsh, son of Captain Din Pat Walsh:

Operations of M.V. Cooperator II - April to November 1960.
Notes from/for Log Book of Capt. Denis P. Walsh

Page 1:

Left St Kyran’s April 20 at 4:00 am. Arrived at Burin 11 am. Took on oil bunker. Signed on, got coasting license and parts for delco and left there at 4:00 pm. Got up off Cape Chapeau Rouge. Delco not working, no lights, put in at St. Lawrence at 7:30 pm. Got man working on generator. Had it fixed up at 11:00 pm. Left St. Lawrence at 4:00 am April 21, fresh wind from NW, making only 4 miles per hour, hard punch. Abeam of St. Pierre 1 pm. Set log steaming WNW, one hour gone, log showed 4 miles at watch change. 4 pm log showed 10 miles. 7 pm log showed 30 miles = 5 miles per hour. At 3 pm arrived North Sydney, Friday April 22nd. 23rd loading coal and general cargo. Waiting for flour. Lay Sunday. Lay Monday and Tuesday waiting for flour. Tuesday evening received orders for flour. Came to South Sydney 7 pm. Took on board 200 sacks of flour. Had sacks on board at 10:30 pm. Wednesday the 27th came to North Sydney for parts for delco.

Left North Sydney 2:00 pm, April 27th. Set log at 3:00 pm NNW from Low Point. Arrived at Marystown 9:00 am, the 29th. Landed 30 tons of coal. Saturday the 30th remained at Marystown, waiting for Delco head from St. John’s. Taxi arrived at 6:00 pm. Started to charge batteries. 50 cents to taxi for bringing it from St. Johns. Left Marystown Sunday May 1st at 10:00 am. Arrived Oderin at 2:00 pm. Wind from the NE, light 15 miles per hour. May 2nd landing at Oderin, general cargo and eleven tons of coal, 1 barrel. Left for Petite Forte at noon. Left Petite Forte 4:45 pm. Arrived Great Paradise 6:00 pm.

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Started loading 7:00 am May 3rd. Left at 8:30 going to Isle Valen, light wind from NNE. Landed 25 sacks potatoes, 75 sacks flour, 16 tons 4 barrels coal. Left 3 pm, for Merasheen. Arrived landed 18 tons coal. Finished. Left at 3pm May 4th arrived Presque. Took supplies. Left at 5 pm for Burin arrived there at 10 o’clock the same night. May 5th taking fuel. Left Burin 10am bound for Sydney, light winds, fine and clear. At 5 pm, set log SW from St. Pierre, five miles off, steering West by West, twenty-five miles saw Flint Island fifteen miles to SW. Heading fair for Co Point. Arrived at Sydney 10 pm. Hard put all day. Started loading 10 am, 7th May. Bought two shovels $8.25. Paid harbour dues three dollars and six cents. Delco head twelve dollars 35 cents. Sunday May 8th, 1/2 past 10. Started log at fair way buoy. Log at 1/2 past eleven steaming 110 degrees, light winds. 168 miles. Hauled in E by S 1/4 to four. 5 hours. Hauled E by N two hundred on log. “Fog thick as mud.” 200 on log, slow down to half speed at 10 after nine.

May 10th, 1960, Cash on hand $112.48. Arrived Placentia at noon, Tuesday 10th May. Landing coal. Thursday at 6pm had sixty tons sold. Friday, Saturday still selling coal. Monday at noon left Placentia for Fox Harbour. Arrived at 2pm. Tuesday sold approximately 10 tons. Left went to Long Harbour sold 3 barrels. Left there Wednesday morning went to Harbour Buffett, took on bunker. Left at 1 pm for Red Island, sold some coal there. Left again arrived at Merasheen at six thirty. Thursday May 12th sold 28 or thirty tons.

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Went to Bar Haven. Sold remainder of coal there. Left for Presque, landed, manager (Mike Collins) waited for answer to telegram seeking charter. “No success”. Left for Burin at ten thirty, wind from east north east about fifteen miles per hour. Left Burin Sunday May 22 for St. John’s. Arrived there Monday 23 at 4 PM. At St. John’s 24 May Empire Day, General Holiday. (Skipper Din Pat visited son Ernie, Billy Ennis, Leo Hennessey, and Tony Leonard, boarding and going to school at St. Bon’s. Walked around the campus.)

Wednesday painting deck. Thursday “Ascension Thursday” took on salt. Friday finished loading at 6PM. Left St. John’s at 4am Saturday morning, fine and clear. Numerous “Ice Bergs”. Past Cape Race 3pm thick fog. Arrived Harbour Buffet at 8am Sunday morning. (Went to mass in Harbour Buffet on board the Portuguese hospital ship the “Gillianes”.) Finished discharging salt Tuesday at noon. Left for Presque, arrived here at seven. Came to Merasheen Wednesday morning 1st June. Set up “Tan Pot”, got ready for tanning cod traps. Tanned Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Spilled rain, Monday. Took on board gear, twine, ropes, kegs, and anchors on Tuesday and Wednesday. Left for “Golden Bay” Wednesday evening 8 June. Arrived Golden Bay Thursday morning at day break. Set out trap gear during week end. No caplin or fish Sunday, June 12th. A sign of caplin striking, saw about a dory load in trap.

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Monday 13, June 1960 - got first haul of codfish, 1 skiff load. From then on, fish fairly good, some fish every haul. “Never missed a haul, every day got fish.”

(Din Pat recorded, but not for the boat’s log book, the following account of fish caught. 1 Dip seems to equal 1 skiff load and dory load or approximately say 20 quintals.)

June 13 - 1 dip
June 15 - 5 dips
June 16 - 4 dips
Saturday 18 - 7 quintals
Monday - 7 dips
Tuesday - 5 dips
Wednesday - 3 ½ dips
Thursday - 3 ½ dips
Fri 24 June - 5 ½ dips
Saturday- 4 dips
Sunday at Placentia Cottage Hospital with Michael Cochrane due to fall on board ship.
Monday 27 June arrived back at Golden Bay. Didn’t haul, too stormy.
Tuesday- 5 dips
Wed - 29 June - 2 dips
Thurs - 6 dips
July 1st - 4 dips
Sat - 4 dips
Monday 4th - 4 dips
Tuesday - 4 ½ dips
Wed - 2 ½ dips **
Sat 9th - 6 dips
Mon 11th - 3 dips
Tuesday 12 July - 7 dips
Wed 13 July - 4 ½ dips
Thurs 14 July - 2 ½ dips
Saturday 16 July- skiff load and dory load - 1 dip “LAST HAUL

** Went to Merasheen July 6th at night fall. Landing/off loading fish Thursday. Took salt Friday morning. Left went to Presque. Left Presque ½ past Eleven, arrived Golden Bay 6pm too late to haul, 8th July. Saturday 9th July got good haul, about eighty quintals in Big Trap. Sunday no haul. Monday 11th Bucky wind from the Westard, hauled to Plat Rock got Forty quintals.

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Took up traps Monday and Tuesday 18th and 19th July. Came in to Merasheen the 19th landed gear. Took on board fish landed. Left Merasheen the 23rd July Saturday for Presque. At Presque Sunday 24th waiting on men. Left Presque Monday morning, arrived Burin 5pm. Took on oil and had some repairs done to set, ship to shore, communications. Left Burin 20 minutes to 1pm Tuesday, bound for Lunenburg, Nova Scotia to sell fish.
(Note: Skipper Din Pat, in all his years sailing, visited Burin and left a report at every customs office outward and inward between Newfoundland and mainland Canada ports.)

Set log 3pm at Cape Chapeau Rouge 26 July Tuesday. Past St. Pierre abeam at 8pm steaming West ½ North fine and clear light wind. 2pm Wednesday 27 July talking on set with David Wats. At 8pm talking to schooner Sherman Zwicker. We were then 160 miles SE by S from Scatree 30 miles still steaming West ½ North. White Head bore N N West 250 miles. Passed lis com buoy at 8pm log 30 miles slow steaming for Egg Island. Whistle Buoy 43 miles from lis com buoy to Egg Island Buoy.

Arrived Lunenburg five o’clock Friday evening. Started to unload salt bulk fish Saturday. Took out eighty-three thousand pounds. Sunday fine day, went to mass in morning. Monday took out fish again. Tuesday all day, finished Wednesday morning at 10am. Total weight out was two hundred and forty four thousand eight hundred (244,800).

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It was an excellent trip of fish. The 244,800 pounds of heavy salted fish had a gross value of $18,385.00 in which the captain and crew shared.

Left Lunenburg at 4pm Wednesday August 3rd. Arrived Sydney at 2pm August 5th (Din Pat’s 59th birthday). No freight offering.

(My son Ernie made a surprise visit to the skipper and crew on board the Co-operator II on my birthday. Ernie had come in fro Port aux Basques on the M.V. William Carson, the CNR Ferry boat. He was travelling with the St. Bon’s Army cadet corps, on their way to Aldershot, NS for cadet camp. We walked inland to the CNR train station. Ernie told me later they all met Don Messer, CBC TV famous violin player, on their stop in Truro.)

Wired manager Mike Collins in Presque in regards to ship refit. Waiting reply. Got orders to go on slip for refit Monday morning at 10am. We, schooner, were hauled on dock. Cleaned and painted copper on one side Tuesday. Raining very hard Wednesday. Still painting copper on Thursday. Friday trying to get freight. Saturday “got it”. Confirmed to take whatever I could get. Monday 15th August “Lady Day” went to South Sydney. Finished loading coal Tuesday at 3pm. Sailed 5pm for Placentia Bay ports. Fresh wind from NE coming out Sydney light, it gradually died down after night fall. Wednesday, light winds from NNE fine and clear. At noon 115 miles on the log. Arrived at Harbour Buffet

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Thursday evening, discharged Friday. Saturday at 11am left for Isle Valen. Lay there Sunday. Monday morning left for Little Paradise, landed there and then sailed for Oderin. Left Oderin at 9 am Tuesday 23 August. Went to Merasheen, discharged flour and coal. Left, came to Presque at 2pm. Landed flour. Took on board delco and installed it, working fine. Left Presque at 11am Thursday, arrived Burin 6pm. Took fuel Friday and left at half past 9am. Harboured at St. Lawrence, “Blowing Hard”.

Left St. Lawrence at ¼ past eight, set log at 10 past nine at Ferryland Head, South of St. Lawrence. At 3am we were 38 miles by bearings on St. Pierre and Point Plat lights steering WNW. Strong breeze all day and night. Saw Flint Island at 10am Sunday morning 28 August, fresh N West wind fine sunny. Arrived Sydney at 1pm Sunday. Started loading coal Tuesday 1pm, finished 9pm.

Sailed 10pm Tuesday night, fine light wind. NW steering by E ½ E, 160 on log. Hauled E 200. Cape Chapeau Rouge bore N West by N. still fine light wind from WNW. Sunny 7am abeam Burin Island. Arrived Oderin 12 noon. Started discharging coal. Finished Friday evening 7pm. Left for Merasheen 2nd September Friday evening. Discharging Saturday at Merasheen. Sunday 4th September, well earned Day of Rest. Finished Monday morning at 10am. Left for St. Kyran’s Two men getting out. Trying to hook up two more men. Got men

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Went to Bar Haven Wednesday, the 7th of September. Loaded fish on board Thursday, 400 quintals. Came to Arnold’s Cove Thursday evening. Took on board Friday and Saturday, finished 5pm. Blowing from South West 20 miles per hour.

Left Arnold’s Cove day break Sunday morning 11th September. Fresh wind from Westard. Arrived at Little Bay, Marystown 5pm. Monday took on board fish. Finished at 2pm. Came to Burin and harboured until storm passed. Took on fuel. Left Burin at 6am Thursday 15 September. Abeam with St. Lawrence at 8am. Set log at Cape Chapeau Rouge. Abeam St. Pierre half past two, 40 miles on log from Cape Chapeau Rouge. Arrived Halifax Saturday September 17th.

Discharged cargo of dried salt fish. Left Halifax Friday the 23rd. Harboured Louisburg Saturday 2pm, fresh wind from NE. Lay there Sunday. Left Monday at 8am. Arrived Sydney at 2pm. Started loading coal at 8am, finished at 4pm September 27th. Sailed 5pm. Set log at Fair Way Buoy. Half past 6 steering East by South ½ South, light winds, 170 on log. Hauled in E by S for 5 miles. Stopped “mud thick”.

Hauled ENE, saw Cape Chapeau Rouge at day break. Steamed ENE for Merasheen. Arrived Isle Valen at 7pm Thursday evening. Landed 50 tons coal Friday and Saturday. Sailed for Merasheen landing there Sunday. Finished Monday at 11 am, 3 October. Sailed for Presque. Leaving early morning Tuesday for Paradise. Landed 38 tons of coal.

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Sailed 10am Wednesday 5th October for Sydney. Wind from West North West, fine clear. At 8pm abeam with Lamaline. “Hard punch”. Arrived at Sydney 9pm Friday night. Loaded coal Saturday, October 8th. Blowing Sunday.

Left Sydney at 2 thirty am Monday. Threw log over board at Fair Way Buoy at 4am, steering E by S 1/2 S. Arrived at Marystown 6pm Tuesday, October 11th. “Blustering trip up and down”. October 12th landed forty tons of coal for Joe Fitzpatrick. Landed 19 tons, others 21 tons. Landed coal at Baine Harbour Saturday and Petite Forte. Went to Merasheen Saturday night, 15 October. Left Merasheen Monday, went to St. Ann’s. Left St. Ann’s at 10am, arrived Little Paradise. Got out 20 tons Tuesday. Stormy Wednesday morning, finished landing six tons. Left at 10am for Burin, blowing hard from West North West. Thursday arrived St. Lawrence. “Took on ballast”. Friday 21 October blowing.

Left Saturday morning, 22 October, arrived Sydney 7pm Sunday evening. Monday stormy. Laying to in Sydney until Thursday.

Manifold screws broken. Had to take out No. 1 piston to get her back, Friday working on engine. Saturday and Sunday October 30 at North Sydney. Monday took out ballast. Went to South Sydney, took on flour November 1st. Finished the 2nd. Came to North Sydney, took on coal. Sailed 3pm 3rd November.

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Arrived Merasheen at 8am November 5th, 1960.

(Last entry in the log book of the Co-operator II by Skipper Din Pat Walsh as “I had to leave the schooner unexpectedly due to the illness of my mother, I couldn’t leave her”. Din Pat’s mother Catherine died 27 December 1960 in her 96th year.)

06 November 1960, engineer Paddy Ennis took over duties of Skipper of the Co-operator II. Visited ports in Placentia Bay, unloading and delivering flour and coal for the winter stock.

24 and 25 November at Merasheen Fish Plant wharf. Loaded on ½ schooner load of drums of cod oil refined at the liver factory. Monday morning departed Merasheen for St. John’s. Tuesday 29 November 1960 while rounding Cape Race, Skipper Paddy received word that his son Derm Ennis had been born.

Arrived at St. John’s and offloaded and sold drums of cod oil to business “Munns”, producers of cod oil. Second and third December took on schooner load of drums of fuel and gas for Merasheen and Burin. Left St. John’s Monday 5th December for Placentia Bay. Delivered drums of fuel.

 From 1956/57 on board the MV Cooperator II. Front row: Robert Drake, Oderin, Patrick Hann, Merasheen, Michael Brennan, Little Paradise, William Jarvis, Oderin. Back row: Michael Collins, manager of PWTS to 1961, Gerald Hann, Petite Forte, Din Pat Walsh, Merasheen, Maurice McCrowe, Oderin