As Jim Edwards puts the finishing touches on his new 20-foot skiff, he thinks about his childhood in Change Islands, Notre Dame Bay.
“Change Islands was a nice little place to grow up in the 1960s and 1970s,” said Edwards. “Everybody knew each other. We didn’t have to lock anything up. It’s still a lot like that today.”
Like many communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, the main livelihood in Change Islands was fishing. Processing was done in the Changes Island Fish Plant. But the scale of the industry has become much smaller since the cod moratorium in 1992.
“Before the moratorium, there were 100 fishermen and 600 people in Change Islands,” explained Edwards. “Today, there are 20 fishermen and 200 people in the community. I’m one of the 20 remaining fishermen.”
Despite the changes to the fishing industry over the years, Edwards has never considered leaving Change Islands. He continues to fish from April to September with his brothers-in-law, Stuart Diamond and David Diamond. They own a 19-foot fiberglass speedboat, a 35-foot longliner and a 45-foot longliner.
“I’ll stay here as long as I have something to do to make a living,” said Edwards determinedly.
During the winter months, Edwards is often in his shed building boats. He has built 10 punts, and built and repaired 10 speed boats. He has also built two longliners (36-foot and 42-foot) with Stuart Diamond and David Diamond.
“Years ago, the boats we built during the winter were used for fishing,” explained Edwards. “But now, I build boats for myself.”
Edwards first learned about building boats when he was 15 years old. His uncle, Francis Edwards, asked neighbour Bert White to help him repair his speedboat. Edwards watched the men work and was soon hooked. He tried his hand at building his own boats.
“The boats weren’t perfect as first, but I kept trying new things to make them better,” said Edwards. “Boatbuilding is still a learning experience for me.”
When designing his boats, Edwards makes a model using the three-quarter scale. His uncle, Arthur Coward from Greenspond, showed him how to do this. Edwards cuts his own timbers. He’s always on the look out for good spruce and juniper.
Edwards’ new skiff is a smaller version of the 25- to 30-foot vessels traditionally used in the Newfoundland fisheries. “I’m making the skiff to show my young nephews who have never seen one before,” explained Edwards.
To power the skiff, Edwards purchased an old marine engine from a gentleman in Northern Arm. “It’s a 4 HP Acadia,” said Edwards. “This type of engine is hard to get these days, but fishermen were throwing them over the wharf a few years ago.”
Once Edwards completes his skiff, he will be building a 15-foot punt for the 2010 Fogo Island Punt Race. Edwards and David Diamond have participated in this race since its inception three years ago. Edwards was also part of Shorefast Foundation's documentary Cranky that highlighted participants from the punt race.
“It’s a hard 10-mile row,” Edwards laughed. “But so far, we’ve gotten one of each metal: bronze, silver and gold.” Edwards and Diamond placed second in 2007, first in 2008 and third in 2009.
Although he hasn’t tried to win any metals for his boat building skills, Edwards gets satisfaction from knowing his work will be enjoyed by his nephews and others in his community. His work will live on for a good many years to come.
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