Westport’s Swordfish Boat Captains and Fish Spotter Pilots

Westport Historical Society Annual Meeting

A short business meeting will be followed by:

Westport’s Swordfish Boat Captains and Fish Spotter Pilots

4 PM Saturday October 14 at the Westport Grange, 931 Main Road, Westport MA

Enjoy stories and memories as recounted by Westport’s swordfish boat captains and the pilots of the planes that spotted swordfish: Everett Mills, Grant Moore, Jimmy King, Paul Brayton, Richie Earle, Howie Gifford and Russ Hart.

“The swordfish are in when the dandelions bloom” is an age-old Westport saying recalled by former swordfish boat captain Russ Hart. In the 1950s, swordfish were plentiful in supply, providing extra revenue for lobster boats which often came across swordfish just a few miles offshore. Weighing-in of the swordfish was a daily event that always attracted quite a crowd at the Point. By the 1970s, planes were used to spot the swordfish, requiring pilots flying on average 200 miles in a single engine plane.

Suggested donation $5.