The Mary K. A dragger out of Woods Hole.
Nelson Brace loved photography and fishing boats. He also loved creating a community. He did that in his volunteer work and by starting a Facebook page, Commercial Fishing Boats of New England, which collected and celebrated photos of commercial fishing boats.
The images were beautiful, and the camaraderie and swapping of fishy knowledge added patina. Brace also went out of his way to help others, for example when I called and asked if he had any pictures of fishing boats traversing the Cape Cod Canal. He did, and wanted to donate the images from a group of photographers that worked together: Photogs Я Us.
“Just name the group,” he said.
Here are the photographs he sent along; fishing boats using the canal to fishing grounds (New Bedford to Gulf of Maine, for example), Cape vessels going to New Bedford, captains steaming to their homeport in Sandwich Marina, a host of reasons.
The photographs are meant to show the importance of a canal often taken for granted, but they also show how Nelson Brace helped capture and share an industry that is important to all of us.
Brace passed away earlier this month. We are thankful for the community he helped create, that continues to grow.
The Lady Dee of Yarmouth.
The Challenge out of New Bedford.
The Amelia Joyce of Fairhaven steams by on a wintry day.
The Langley Douglas out of Scituate.
Friendly folks on the lobster boat Black Earl out of Nantucket.
The big Morue out of Boston.
Grace Sarah out of Sandwich.
The offshore lobster boat Terri-Ann out of Sandwich.