A deeper look into the Chastun Mosquito Fleet

The Mosquito Fleet a group of seaman in handmade bateau sailboat with quilt sails that harvested enough seafood to supply and the entire City of Charleston and surrounding Sea Islands daily from 1860 to 1940 then staggering to maintain till 1970's.
The City of Charleston was in ruins in the 1860 to the 1900 because of the Civil War and 90% of the residents in Charleston were Blacks and Native Americans. When the beauty of the Mosquito Fleet got its name it was way after CIVIL WAR but have been in operation before the Civil War. After the Panic of 1837 some slave of the sea island were released from in servitude for various reason, i.e. mainly financial reasons.  Since the laws were still SLAVE or DIE, the newly freed slaved travelled south. During the Seminole And Gullah Wars, more blacks escaped into freedom by the waterways. During the Civil War the blacks assisted in feeding the troops and their family with the waterway techniques thus leading up to the mass community of fishing vessels and kayaks. Contrary to Popular Belief, Blacks were not evacuated during the Civil War as the history books teach, they was hiding and fighting for survival.

     The Mosquito dynamic fleet made its way rowing in perfect harmony and rhythmic to the chants of homeward bound and good day harvest, swarms of sea birds like sea gulls and pelicans surrounded these small flat bottom boats awaiting the free meal of the throw-a-ways. The Throw-a-ways in Seashore Farmer language means the ones not needed. The throw-a-ways are not needed for various reasons are too little or to old or maybe pregnant, be mindful in the Gullah culture everything has a use and purpose and a reason.  The seaman were skilled boatman a craft passed down traditionally in the Gullah Geechee Communities, which is typical with most organic cultures. The skill of fishing as well as the skill of boat making was passed as well as the skill of sewing were maintained and held in protection even in difficult times. Yes, Gullah Men Sew. It is documented that some of the best Tailors in the City of Charleston were African Men, ask Bluestein Menswear in operation since 1883.
    First who were the men and woman of the Mosquito Fleet. No, it is not common for the woman to man the bateau boats but it was common to sell the fish at the markets, woman have done both. Now lets talk people, these captains and co captains of these mini ships were residents of the Sea Islands. The families who are involved in the waterways now were most likely to be the fisherman of the past unless forced to pick up another trade.  These were highly trained seaman who could navigate the ocean without navigational tools. The gifts of learning the waterways and to inherit a trade of navigation made these fisherman and their products highly prized. The history of the seaman in Oral history of the Gullah Geechee people is traced and researched back to times before colonialization of the indigenous people. African people have been navigating the oceans before they were capture to make the boats and ships for the European nations.
Departing from the downtown area for fishing is not a logical route for the fish and other sea creature lay in the shallows or in the ocean. The  boatmen from James Island and Johns Island would meet up in deep waters with the men from the Wando and  Awendaw area and together they would enter the Charleston Harbor, with their catches. The boats of the Mosquito Fleet was a motley crew, which showed the talent of uniqueness for the different styles in boats construction. All had one time in common "Guaranteed won't leak". Coming from a culture base where everything has a purpose or use and the enhancement of creativity from lack of access to proper material, and living in a society where purchasing things brand new was not likely because of RACIAL DISPARTIES, the boat builder did the best they could with what they had to work with. Most of the boats were constructed from scratch from recently cut or recently fallen Pine, Oak and/ or  Cypress Trees. Some of the old and abandoned civil war life boats were fixed and upgraded to survive on High winds and strong currents of the Atlantic Ocean. Some boats were patched together from old broken flat bottomed boats. All the boats were sailboats with oars. The sails were made from various types of materials. Some woman gave the men some left over materials from sewing duties from home and housework and this gave birth to the quilted sails or as commonly known patchwork sails.

    In knowing the history of Gullah Quilts, they tell a story or a chapter in ones life. What was the stories the Mosquito Fleet sails told?  Did the sails tell and chart the gigantic catches or how that captain named Spunky Shrimp got his name?

   Living in Charleston as a fisherman was very successful for the newly free social class creating a new age middle class.What made life easier to deal with was the journey home. Homes still hidden in Swamp and old plantation lands with Family away from the hateful things and people who degraded them as they willing sold their Catch of the Day in the markets and directly to the home, yet still dealing with laws that inflicted anger and rage on their people.  Using the natural skills passed down for survival, helped to elevate the fisherman to new class but time will tell and the laws will change because of the gross and disgusting idea that newly free enslaved people "needed to stay in their place"grew among the Charlestonians, specifically with Bankers, Loans offices and Insurance Companies.
    Now working as a boatman was one of  three parts, 2 onshore and 1 offshore. We are familiar with offshore it is the joy of harvesting from the seas. We are not so familiar with the onshore trip the Market. Yes, the City Market once referred candidly to as the Black Market.  The fish carts were handmade carts with a compartment for cutting and cleaning the fish. The actual purpose of the cart were to deliver the fish from the sea to the market. A concept that became entertainment to most, stories circulate of the memories of  fisherman singing about the fresh caught fish and what kind if fish. “Fish, fish, fish,” the singer would cry. “Oh, de porgy walk, and de porgy talk, De porgy eat with a knife and fork. Porgy, Porgy. Freeesh fish.” Once they fisherman made themselves down these narrow street to the bustling City Market, they unloaded the fresh catch to the Fish stands that lined the market street along with meats, clothing, and vegetables. The men would meet up with woman who sold fresh truck vegetable from the farms. Here is where we found most interesting in the oral discover, the husband and boyfriends were the fisherman and the wives and girlfriends were farmers. This type of two job household elevated the households and the communities, which is an uncommon household structure in this society but once again the mentality functioned on a different way of life pattern.
       The economic growth of the Sea Island owners was a threat to the surrounding area as the businesses became successful Sea Islanders purchased more lands thus creating wealth and the establishment of independent community neighborhoods. The land purchased were identified as unlivable, Marsh, etc. it was about the land. But those who had more power controlled the access to items for only merchants made it very hard to want to do business as the Mosquito Fleet and other African descent. For example buying wood for ship building, net mesh, even paint were difficult to purchase from manufactures.  Daily life was difficult as the ideology of the fisherman grew in the reality of HATRED and DEGRADATION grew as well. Yes, everyone loved the fisherman, but the small time fisherman was now under attack.  The Mosquito Fleet was the beginning of commercial fishing industry and competition was right around the corner.
Hurricane Gracie 1959
Natural devastation from storms and hurricane Gracie took out most of the Mosquito Fleet. The outstanding question is What happened to the Mosquito Fleet of Charleston. Well, without having access to insurance polices and bank account and new law that prevent the usage of organic ways to build boats. That is what decimated the numbers from hundreds of fisherman to a mere hundred.
It is commonly known about the racial discrimination and Jim Crow laws, but it also affected the blacks in Charleston through simple laws like Permit Regulations.  These also affected the small independent farmer/ fisherman in recent times, i.e. 2016.

      In order to understand the answer you have understand the environment, black life is not a vacuum. So here is the scenario that majority of the blacks in Charleston( probably around the world) faced during the "Mosquito Fleet" time (1860-1950). After Civil War, During Reconstruction and the Application of the JIM CROW LAWS (1865-1957). Do you have the scene in your mind. I would have put a picture but that will incite pain and anger so back to the situation.  I lost my boat due to a natural disaster, I can't go to the Bank even though I got money. I can't get insurance because the individual companies have Policies that permits them from issuing insurance to me. OK. Well I got land so I will just do build me a new boat, myself. But hold up. A law was passed in a meeting that I was not aware of and I was not allowed to go into anyway said they are creating for ORDER a permit system for EVERYTHING. But I (a citizen do not know, yet.)Which means in order to build my boat from my tree on my land and fish in my lake, I have to get a permit. OK here the problem.  I could not get a permit because I need an ID. I could not get an ID because you have to read and write but I can not read or write because the laws did not permit me to go to SCHOOL. So do to continuous frustration and running around in circles, most ex fisherman took up another trade or took their trade back to the Sea Island. The descendants who remained with the crafts later opened Backman' s Shrimp Company, Wando,  There it is, part of the answer to WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MOSQUITO FLEET?
Since the Mosquito Fleet help to expand the fish/ seafood market and now due to other circumstances was no longer able to maintain existence.  The entrance way for the new age shrimper or fisherman with more technical equipment and boats eventually squashed the Mosquito Fleet out of existence.

The pylons of the Mosquito Fleet docks still remain but unused. "General Pinckney deeded land on the banks of the Cooper River to the fleet so they would have a highly visible space to dock and show off their catch. This land was to remain in the possession of the fleet as long as there were living members to use it. Sadly, it now sits in the hands of the Port Authority fenced off and unused, surrounded by high rise condos and port terminals."

 
To The families of the glorious and adventurist seaman who charted areas still undocumented without navigational tools, I say THANK YOU. Without the sacrifices, we would not have these wonderful stories of determination and success despite outstanding odds. Those who still remain true to the art in the world of fishing, We say THANK YOU. The Gullah art of Boat making and skillful trade for Seashore Farming slowly dwindling but in existence, so I say relearn the trade and the history.

Thank you to all who have inquired to keep the memories alive and for writing the stories and doing the research.