THE SCHOONER KATHLEEN WILSON
by John B. Walsh
Merasheen men had an ingrained knowledge and a knack that stood them well at whatever work they ventured. They worked with hammer, saw, adze, axe and not much more to erect their property of house, stage, wharf, flakes, sheds and to build their boats. Each man was adept at building, even to the exacting work to cut, to frame and bend wood to fashion sturdy crafts, so as to sustain whatever the ocean would send their way.
Some men were more adventurous and tackled the hard jobs necessary to build larger boats and schooners. Skipper Jack Hann had the ‘Catherine Mary Hann’ built in 1920, Mr. Paul Wilson built the ‘Alice and Grace’, Jack Pitcher built the ‘Hannah Pitcher’ in 1935 and Mr. Bill Wilson built the ‘Kathleen’ in 1939.
The building of schooners stirred a curiosity and fascination in the lives of us favoured to be alive at that time. There was always the smell of tar, while workers hammered on nails, bolts and oakum. There were piles of wood chips and shavings with smells of spruce, birch and witch-hazel. Logs were shaped into timbers and plank for the keel, deck and masts.
We would stop by whenever we could to watch and help in our little way. Of course, to get us out from under foot, we were often sent to fetch fictitious tools like a double bladed adze, a left handed hammer or a round square. Nevertheless, with a sense of wonder, we saw every piece fitted to completion and finally the bright colours of bottom red, green topsides and white gunwales paint applied. The ‘Kathleen’ was built close to Mr. Bill's house in Little Merasheen. She was built 39 feet 8 inches long, 12 feet 3 inches wide, 5 feet 2 inches deep, and registered 12 tonnage. Come time to launch the schooner ‘Kathleen’, everyone came to help. Rollers and ways were placed along the ground to the water. With heavy block and tackle, ropes, wire, and anchors, everything was made ready. Grease or blubber was liberally smeared to make the heavy weight move smoothly, as old and young pulled mighty hard on ropes and pries.
Mr. Bill decided to step the masts, put them in place, on the ‘Kathleen’ before he launched her as it was more easily done on land using a high ‘A’ frame for support.
Slowly but surely the ‘Kathleen’ was moved across the brook, the roadway, and the 100 yards to the high water mark. A cheer went up when after the last run down the graded beach near Mr. Ned Hennessey‘s store, she floated proudly like a cork. The ‘Kathleen’ was towed and anchored in position with a stern line tied to the Chain Rock. Then the men stood back in admiration of her pleasing trim and gentle lines.
The young men, perhaps a dozen in all led by Mr. Bill's son Johnny, went aboard to look her over and to test her out. By running across the deck, they got her rolling from side to side. The fact that there was no ballast on board, the weight of the masts made her roll more precariously lower and lower. It was exciting for the young fellows but had they not been stopped in time, a historic day could have ended in damage to the beautiful schooner, not to mention injury to the participants.
The ‘Kathleen’, seaworthy and fast under sail, fished in nearby waters off Merasheen, at the Cape Shore and the Northern Head near Cape St. Mary's.
The Second World War, however, brought a slow-down in the cod fishery and the ‘Kathleen’ lay at anchor near Tom Connors’ wharf for some time. She, like other larger boats, was frozen in when ice formed on the inner harbour.
I remember the day when the ‘Kathleen’ was sold to fishermen from Francois on the south west coast. It was with mixed feelings, like in the song about the John B., to see her sail away to the westward, now leaning against the southeast breeze. Yet all were glad to know she would again be used for the reason Mr. Bill so proudly built her - to catch the cod again off the rugged shores of Newfoundland.