Fishermen had an extra day of watching and waiting this year as the start was delayed one day due to a forecast of gale-force winds for yesterday.
A continental breakfast was a popular offering at the lighthouse for a donation to the Friends of the Yarmouth Light Society.The crowd at the lighthouse began to build as 6 a.m. drew closer.
At 5:45, Reverend Bill Newell blessed the fishermen via VHF radio and CJLS. The foghorn sounded at 6 a.m. and the heavily-laden boats surged towards the fishing grounds.
As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, several incidents involving boats or fishermen were reported.
A fisherman who fell overboard around 17 nautical miles south of Digby was retreived within five minutes by the crew and transported to the Yarmouth hospital by Cormorant helicopter. A vessel also reported taking on water through a hatch. A Cormorant dropped a pump and the boat was able to proceed on its own power. Click here for the story related to these incidents.
In Port Maitland, a fishing vessel loaded with traps sank at the entry to the Port Maitland Wharf. The sinking delayed the start of the fishery there by 40 minutes. Click here for story.
