Stacey, P. June 30, 2018. Crystal Braye interviewing Percy Stacey, St. Lawrence.

• Main Author: Braye, Crystal
• Other Authors: Stacey, Percy B. Sr. (1940-), Percy “Perce” Stacey was born August 30, 1940. He moved from Buchans to St. Lawrence in 1963 to work at the fluorspar mine. When the mine closed in 1977, he turned to fishing. From 1977 to 1980 he fished for cod, flounder, herring and capelin from a swamp boat with Cecil Beck, until an injury prevented him from continuing in the fisheries.
• Format: Audio
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Objects; Boats; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/boatmuseum/id/333

Interview focused on swamp boats (or swamp bottom boats) common on the west side of Placentia Bay. Percy Stacey fished in swamp from St. Lawrence from 1977 to 1980 with Cecil Beck. "0:00:00 Percy did not own a swamp but fished from one owned by Cecil Beck, bought from George Power (unknown builder). Other that had swamps include: Eli Pike, George Power, Edward Norman, George Reeves, Mic Drake. Believes they were mostly built in Epworth. 0:00:45 Percy fished from swamp boat for three years. When the mines closed in ‘77 he started fishing late in 1977 until 1980. Fished for cod, flounder, herring and capelin. 0:01:20 Swamp boat was twenty-five feet long and about five feet wide. Mostly fished hook and line, trawl and handline. Most they could haul was 4 gillnets at a time because there was no room for more. It had a fifteen horsepower Yanmar engine. 0:01:50 “You’re out in the weather all the time. Sunshine or darkness, or whatever it was, right up over you. No way of getting out of it. We used to fish from late in April right up until the later part of November. We made a living, best we could do.” 0:02:35 Crystal asks Percy to describe what swamp boats look like. He gives a description as he sketches. 0:03:40 Percy never used one with a make and break engine, says that was before his time. 0:04:00 Planks were overlapped [clinker]. Back end was square, angled. “She had a nice bow on her.” Twenty-five feet long, about five feet wide and thirty-six inches deep. Garboard plank was caulked but others weren’t. Bottom was mostly flat but had a bit of a bow in the bottom. 0:06:26 Swamp boat he fished from was using a fifteen horsepower Yanmar diesel. Make and breaks faded out by the late 70s. Mentions Atlantics, four and six horsepower, previously used. 0:07:30* Spanker was used on the back to keep the boat steady while hauling trawl and nets. 0:08:00 Crystal asked when swamp boats faded out. Percy says there was none left by the 1990s. People moved into thirty-two foot boats with cabins, and then into thirty-four and ...