The most profitable natural resource in Massachusetts comes from the sea. The fishing industry is very important to the economy of the state. Fish are caught for eating by the people of the state and the fish can be sent all over the world. The major ports for fishing fleets are Boston, Gloucester, New Bedford and Provincetown and most of Cape Cod. Fish oil ws also an important product in Massachusetts in the 1800's. It was used instead of whale oil for lamps or for soap-making. In many of the fishing towns n Cape Cod, Salt-making was also an important industry. Salt was needed to dry fish in order to keep it from spoiling ("salt cod") Ocean water was brought into shallow bins to dry out and the salt crystals were harvested and sold.
When fishing for cod, halibut, and herring the boats traveled to the Georges Bank, Bay of St. Lawrence, and Greenland, and Newfoundland. These trips took about four months. Some trips to Iceland for haddock lasted six of seven months. The fishing season was from early spring through late summer. During the winter the boys (who started working on fishing boats at the age of 10 or 12) attended school and the older men had to find other jobs. Of course, the boat needed repairs and painting, sails were mended, and nets were made---but these jobs were done by others.
The boats used for these long trips were called schooners; they carried about 15 men, a cook, and the captain. They had a small deck and an area for sleeping and eating with a fireplace or small stove. The men worked in shifts so two people would be assigned to one bunk. In addition to the actual fishing, the sailors cleaned, salted and packed the fish, took turns at the wheel and kept watch. The captain was responsible for the safety of his ship and men, threw the bait to attract the fish to the vessel, and steered the ship to keep it near the fish. Most of the food consisted of fish (of course---very fresh), but salted beef and pork were also taken on board along with plenty of hard bread. A favorite dish was a pudding made of hard bread pounded up and sweetened with molasses. Hard bread fried in pork fat was another favorite dish.
Fishing was first done by handlines----baited hooks thrown from the side of the boat or from a small dories (smaller boats launched from the larger one). Older men and boys could do this type of fishing, but it was dangerous work. Of course, some fishing (especially for lobster and crabs) was done with traps dropped to the bottom of the ocean---but these were usually handled by a single fisherman from his small boat.
At that time, fishermen did not receive an actual salary. When the trip was over, the fish were sold and half of that amount was divided up among the men. However, costs for bait, the cook's wages, and charges for inspecting and repacking the fish for sale were taken out of the fishermen's half before it was divided.