New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
John Santos in the Net Mending Contest
Industry skills will be on display at the 2013 Working Waterfront Festival (September 28-29), a free celebration of commercial fishing culture which takes place annually in New Bedford, the nation’s number one port.
Fishermen are invited to show their skills by competing in a number of contests including net mending, splicing, scallop shucking, link squeezing, and the donning of survival suits. This year many in the industry have stepped up to offer prizes to the winners. Hercules SLR (US) which is sponsoring both the safety demos and survival suit races is offering a $100 gift certificate for the winners of the survival suit races. The Marlinspike Artist is offering a $100 Stop and Shop gift card to the winner of the splicing contest.
The Maritime Law Offices of Latti & Anderson LLP are offering the following prizes for both the scallop shucking and net mending contests: $500 first prize, $250 second prize, and $100 third prize. Fishermen interested in participating should arrive at the Contest Stage on Steamship Pier 30 minutes ahead of the start time to sign up. A full schedule is available on the Festival web site.
In addition to contests, visitors to the event will have the opportunity to learn about the industry through occupational demonstrations including the making of nets and scallop bags, inshore fishing, lobstering, and rigging. A demonstration of the latest in safety equipment will include a man overboard demo each day. Industry exhibitors will showcase their latest products. Dockside tours will be offered by a number of working vessels including a Stonington dragger, a wooden Eastern Rig, a modern scalloper, a clammer, and a tug boat.
The Working Waterfront Festival is a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern MA, a non-profit organization. The FREE festival, a family friendly, educational celebration of New England’s commercial fishing industry, features live maritime and ethnic music, fishermen’s contests, fresh seafood, vessel tours, films, author readings, cooking demonstrations, kid’s activities and more. It all takes place on working piers and waterfront parks in New Bedford, MA, America’s #1 fishing port, on the last full weekend in September. Navigate to us at www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.
