Voices from the Port is a series of short audio pieces based on oral histories collected as part of the Working Waterfront Documentation Project. The programs are designed to provide a window into the history and culture of the working port, and encourage listeners to visit New Bedford, America’s #1 Port to learn more. The project was made possible with funding from Mass Humanities.
Changes in Technology: Navigation (4:14)
The commercial fishing industry has seen incredible changes in technology especially with regard to navigation.
Close Calls (4:07)
Commercial fishing is one of the world’s most dangerous occupations. Fishermen must contend with icy temperatures, stormy seas, hazardous gear and treacherous shoals.
Storms at Sea (4:32)
Commercial fishing is one of the world’s most dangerous occupations in part because contending with unpredictable weather, frigid temperatures, icy waters and high winds are a part of the job description.
Unusual Catches (3:49)
New England’s fishermen harvest millions of pounds of seafood each year. Anyone who has fished for any length of time has a story about something unexpected that came up in the net.
Women in the Industry (4:11)
Women are employed in many aspects of the commercial fishing industry–as captains and deckhands, in processing plants and shoreside businesses, as advocates, fisheries scientists and boat owners.
Workplace Pranks (3:55)
Humor is an important coping mechanism in any stressful situation. As the world’s most dangerous occupation, commercial fishing has its share of workplace humor.
Groundfishing in the Good Old Days, Part 1 (3:42)
Retired New Bedford fisherman Herman Bruce describes the process of setting out the net in the days before hydraulics.
Groundfishing in the Good Old Days, Part 2 (4:08)
Retired New Bedford fisherman Herman Bruce talks about the challenges of mending nets on an Eastern Rig Trawler in the 1960s.
Cod Fishing on the Grand Banks (3:42)
Retired New Bedford fisherman Richard MacLeod tells us how he got his start fishing for cod on the Grand Banks in 1936.
Tugs! Rescue of the Pilgrim Bell (4:34)
Tug boat captain Charlie Mitchell tells the story he and his crew played in the rescue of the Pilgrim Bell, a coastal cruiser which ran into trouble on Sow and Pigs Reef.
