This is a threadbare kedge anchor shackle. It could easily have failed when fetching the anchor. I am sure there are many kedges sitting on the sea bottom from failed shackles like this. This one is surely to be refit with a new shackle with attendant nylon line to combat abrasion.
I love noodling around the small fishing port at Sakonnet Point. The port is dwarfed in size by the massive fleets in Galilee (Narragansett) and New Bedford. Fishermen have a hard life wrought with danger. All too often, news comes of a ship lost at sea along with the men. I will make it a point soon to visit early in the morning when a boat is readying for sea. I have only been here once when a crew was processing haul. Here are some images of some tools used in the industry. All images were shot with my treasured Leica M10 and 50mm Summicron. This lens is a true joy in all respects and if I had one to choose from the many I own across all systems, this would be the one. I installed a -3 diopter on the M10 for avoiding use of eyeglasses and find it is much easier to see in and out of the viewfinder frame-lines to compose.
These netted buoys are used to mark the nets for retrieval. The nets are to be avoided by recreational boaters, and their usual location is often marked on marine charts. Regardless, a sharp lookout is needed because getting a sailboat keel entangled in the nets makes for a bad day on the water. The contraption to the right of the closed buoy is a conveyor belt used to move catch into larger iced containers. I have seen a crew using this one day
The forklift is used to move the crated, iced catch into refrigeration trucks for transport to processing plants.
I believe these plastic bins are used at sea to pack the catch in ice. The cages are either used to lift the catch from the hold using winch systems, or they are used to store the fish after returning to port – I am not sure which.
These are kedge anchors and I believe they are used to set the nets to the sea bottom. They hold well in rocks and kelp and are likely attached to the massive white buoys.
This massive hauling winch is used to remove the iced bins filled with catch from the hold.
This is a refrigeration trailer. into which the catch is stored for transport to the processing plants. This trailer has sat in this spot for a long time, so it is either operational and used for temporary storage, or it is not functioning. I have never heard its refrigeration system being operated.
Nice to see you back in the saddle
Thanks BH.