The age of sail

The Age of Sail was an important phase in Icelandic fisheries history in particular, and in Icelandic economic history in general. It lasted for about 130 years, from around 1800 until the late 1920´s. It was preceded by a long preliminary period, beginning in the late 17^th century, with publications on the necessity for renewal in the Icelandic economy. The authors cited fishing by foreigners, especially the Dutch and the English, off Iceland, and they were in agreement that the Icelandic fisheries required a boost. In their opinion, the best way to acquire this was by the foundation of coastal villages and the introduction of decked sailing vessels. Along with fundamental changes in the Danish economy, these ideas led by the mid-18^th century to the foundation of the so-called “Innréttingar” (“Enterprises”) at Reykjavík, but one of their enterprises was fishing and the operation of decked sailing vessels. Though short-lived, this was an important event in the history of the fisheries, although it cannot justifiably be interpreted as the beginning of the age of sail in Icelandic fisheries. The same applies to the fishing activities of a royally-owned trading company, launched in the 1770´s. These did not last long, and were generally unsuccessful, yet they brought home to the Icelanders the potential of sailing vessels for fishery.

The abolition of the monopoly trade on 1 January 1788 opened up new possibilities for trade with other countries than Denmark. Before long, the Icelanders had their own merchants. Some purchased sailing ships which they used for both fishing and for transport.

The advent of sail brought about two major changes in the Icelandic fisheries. Firstly, the principal aim of the rowing boat fishery was to produce food for domestic consumption, while any surplus was sold to the merchants for export. The main objective of the sailing-ship fishery was to produce goods for export – fish and fish-liver oil. In this, the operators of the first Icelandic owned sailing vessels enjoyed favourable market conditions. The last monopoly companies had managed to establish extensive markets for Icelandic saltfish in the Mediterranean, especially in Spain, and during the period from c. 1770 until the end of the Napoleonic Wars these markets offered unusually high prices, due to a near-cessation of fish exports from North America to Spain.

The second main change in Icelandic fisheries resulting from the introduction of sailing vessels was that unlike the rowing boats their main fishing season was from late winter or early spring until summer. This meant that for those who were ready to go to sea in different types of vessels at different seasons, it was possible to pursue fishing as an almost year-round occupation.

The Age of Sail in Iceland should be divided into three main phases: the pioneering period from about 1800 to 1830, the shark period from about 1830 to 1880, and the cod-fishing period from about 1880 until the First World War. The few sailing vessels in operation after that were mostly used for shark fishing. The three phases are far from clearly defined, however, and these dates are inevitably approximate.

Jón Þ. Þór - University of Akureyri