Queen of the North Atlantic: The Bluenose’s journey from glory to legacy
The Bluenose was considered the fastest fishing schooner of its time
The Bluenose was the fastest fishing schooner in the world—a Canadian icon and a symbol of Nova Scotia. Launched in 1921, it entered a world where shipyards built schooners to spend weeks at sea hauling in fish and then sailing their cargo to Europe and the West Indies. They were developed for capacity, not speed. However, this Lunenburg schooner was designed to deliver fish to the competitive, money-spinning market as quickly as possible.
Marine architect William Roué hitched up with Captain Angus Walters to design the schooner, after which Lunenburg's Smith and Rhuland Shipyard began its construction. It still needed a name. One story suggests that "Bluenose" comes from blue calico potatoes grown in the Maritimes, while others claim it's slang for someone born in Nova Scotia.
The schooner was built from woods sourced in Nova Scotia, including oak, birch, spruce, and pine, with the pine masts coming from Oregon. When the seven-month-old fishing vessel took to the waters for its first race on October 16, 1921, it outperformed all other vessels by 16½ minutes. It then went on to dominate international competition, participating in its first International Fishermen's Race, where, that same year, it defeated the American-sailed Elsie by 13 minutes and a few seconds. The Bluenose racked up consecutive victories as if it were the 1950s New York Yankees of the sea. Its last International Fishermen's Cup Race was in 1938, when it triumphed over the schooner Thebaud for the trophy.
Credit: Experiencing Canada host Nathan Coleman(left) learns about Bluenose II with Captain Phil Watson (right)
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The Bluenose retired from racing and was docked in Lunenburg when Captain Angus Walters attempted to keep it in Nova Scotia. But, public interest waned, and World War II closed down North Atlantic sea lanes. Hard times followed. In 1942, the West Indies Trading Company purchased the schooner, where it spent the next four years hauling rum and bananas. On January 30, 1946, it slid into a coral reef, leading to Canada losing a legend forever. That is unless you have a Canadian dime in your pocket, which featured its likeness on the back.
This story doesn't end on a coral reef with soggy bananas. Long before Hollywood churned out remakes of classic movies, the Smith and Rhuland shipyard was contracted to build the HMS Bounty for the film Mutiny on the Bounty. This ignited interest in constructing a Bluenose replica using the original designs. The Oland Brewery funded the project; what better way to promote Schooner Beer? The Bluenose II was launched in 1963, and in 1971, the Olands sold it back to the province for ten dimes. Today, the schooner sails from Lunenburg, its home. Captain Phil Wilson, who has served over 37 years on the Bluenose II, including 23 years as its captain, keeps this important part of maritime history and its Canadian legacy alive.
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