Editor's note: The "Lady Gertrude" was known as the "Sea Escape" while owned by Mr. Rafael and was re-christened upon purchase by Captain Myklebust.
August 7, 2013 — POINT PLEASANT BEACH, N.J. — Blowing salutes from their ship’s horn, the crew of the Lady Gertrude steamed into Manasquan Inlet this week, bringing in a newly purchased and renovated 78-foot steel trawler that might be just the first adoptee from New England’s troubled fishing industry.
Captain Hans Myklebust of the Fishermen’s Dock Cooperative purchased the vessel from Carlos Rafael, owner of the biggest fleet in the Northeast region’s fishing capital of New Bedford, Mass. Watch the video above to see the crowd’s reaction to Lady Gertrude’s arrival.
“Carlos was going to rig it up to do day scalloping,” said Myklebust, whose family are among Scandinavians who came here in the early 20th century to work in the fishing business.
Boat broker Bill Rocha at the Athearn Marine Agency in Fairhaven, Mass., alerted him the boat might be available.
“And I was able to buy it,” Myklebust said.
Whether they own fleets or single boats, New England fishermen have been downsizing for years to adapt to tighter and tighter fishing limits. But the last rounds of quota reductions on cod, yellowtail flounder and related groundfish have finally pushed some captains to pull the plug. While Rafael remains defiant — and diversified into a number of fisheries — more small owner-operators are putting their boats on the market. New Jersey fishermen who are in more fortunate fisheries have been up there, looking around.
Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press