Linda Greenlaw Thrown In the Slammer for Fishing

The female fishboat-captain-turned-author — best known
for being the last person to have contact with the ill-fated Andrea Gail made famous
by the book “The Perfect Storm”— is facing charges in Canada for allegedly fishing
illegally inside Canada's 200-mile limit. Capt. Linda Greenlaw hasn’t been swordfishing
for 10 years and now lobsters from her home in Isle Au Haut, ME and writes books.
So why was she out long lining east of Newfoundland?



Linda Greenlaw, a commercial fisherman and best-selling author, was led into court
in Newfoundland in handcuffs on Friday, Sept. 26, following her arrest three days
before on the high seas. Canadian authorities charged Greenlaw with violating their
fishing territory on Sept. 23. They say a fisheries patrol plane spotted the Sea
Hawk fishing in Canadian waters, according to Canadian press reports. Fisheries
officers boarded the vessel and arrested Greenlaw and the boat was escorted into
St. John's, Newfoundland, early Friday.


Andrea Gail
Andrea Gail seen here without the extra fuel
tanks which were reportedly on deck when she went down in the Perfect Storm.


The Perfect Publicity



Greenlaw, 47, of Isle au Haut, Maine, survived the so-called Perfect Storm of 1991
and was the last person in contact with the Andrea Gail, a swordfish boat from Massachusetts,
that sank with all hands. She was catapulted to fame as captain of the Hannah Boden,
which survived the so-called “Perfect Storm” of Halloween 1991; the book and movie,
starring George Clooney, have both entered the popular culture.



As pointed out in the book, Greenlaw was considered by her peers to be one of the
best large commercial fishboat captains on the American east coast. She certainly
knew Canada’s fishing laws and how to read a chart plotter, the question begs of
how she could have been inside the 200-mile limit?



As Capt. Greenlaw pointed out in her first book, "The Hungry Ocean", she gave up long
lining for swordfish because the species has been pretty much fished out in the northeast
and is no longer profitable. So why was she there?



Andrea Gail
Some observers have speculated that the extra
fuel carried aboard may have raised the Andrea Gail's CG too much and made her unstable
in the rough conditions she encountered.



NBC-TV Series



Greenlaw, reportedly, faced a barrage of reporters and camera crews as she made
her way from her holding cell to court.



Among the media was an American television crew from Original Productions of Burbank,
CA. They were on the boat Greenlaw was skippering, Sea Hawk, to film an upcoming
NBC-TV series when the skipper was arrested Tuesday. "But we didn't expect this,"
said one of the crew, who said the yet-to-to-be-named, eight-episode series will
feature swordfishing.



According to news reports, Capt. Greenlaw left Fairhaven, MA. on Sept. 16 aboard
Sea Hawk with a film crew from Original Productions. The company also produces the
hit reality series “Deadliest Catch” about the Alaskan crabbing industry. 


Dicky Hayes
America’s northeast commercial fishermen are
used to going out


in nearly all conditions.

A Maine newspaper reporter interviewed Capt. Greenlaw’s mother who also lives on
Isle Au Haut and she is reported to have said that her daughter had 40 miles of
line out when she was arrested and that she must have drifted across the 200-mile
limit inadvertently.


Judgment Day



Judge Joseph Woodrow released Greenlaw on a recognizance with a $10,000 cash deposit.
The boat Sea Hawk, which is owned by someone else, was released after the owner
paid $55,000 to the Canadian authorities pending the trial. She's due back in court
Oct. 27.



Greenlaw is the author of several books about life as a commercial fisherman, including
"The Hungry Ocean", “The Lobster Chronicles,” and several novels and other books,
including "All Fishermen Are Liars."



Hannah Boden
Capt. Greenlaw was skipper of Hannah Boden, sistership
of Andrea Gail, at the time of the Perfect Storm.