coasting vbl n OED ~ vbl sb 1 (1679-1796) for sense 1; DAE ~ schooner (1775-), ~ trade (1802-), ~ vessel (1794-) for combs. in sense 2.
   1 Sailing between settlements around the coast for trading purposes.
   1861 DE BOILIEU 174 The summer of this year I was much employed in coasting, and mixed much with the Irish. 1944 LAWTON & DEVINE 74 He had his own schooner, and after a few voyages to Labrador took up coasting, in which he was actively engaged for nearly half a century. 1953 Nfld Fish Develop Report 21 Over half the families obtained income averaging about $250 a year, from a variety of other kinds of work; in fish and wood-product plants, boat-building, carpentry, road construction, 'coasting,' trucking, making handicraft articles and providing rooms or board. T 141/67-65 There was no coasting to be done because nearly all the mercantile businesses had coasters of their own to keep their trade going.
   2 Attrib, comb coasting crew: seamen shipped aboard a coastal trading vessel.
   1977 Nfld Qtly Winter, p. 17 A 'coastin' crew' of five men were busy in Grand Bank cleaning, painting and fumigating the Conrad while he was in St John's.
   coasting schooner: see coasting vessel.
   1872 DASHWOOD 247 At that season the traffic is carried on by coasting schooners, with the exception of one steamer, which makes two or three trips during the year. 1973 HORWOOD 60 Had he not accepted the position of Master of the Marie Spindler, which was in fact a coasting schooner, he might have been Mate of the General Gough on that voyage from which she never returned.
   coasting skipper: master of a coastal trading vessel; SKIPPER.
   1942 Little Bay Islands 20 George, son of John—Fish Culler; Son of John—Coasting Skipper.
   coasting trip: see coasting voyage.
   1944 LAWTON & DEVINE 74 He was well known all over the country, as his coasting trips took him to all parts of Newfoundland.
   coasting vessel: a vessel, usu a schooner, engaged in trading between coastal settlements.
   1832 MCGREGOR i, 184 In this number, neither the coasting nor sealing vessels, about 350, are taken into account. 1881 Nineteenth Century ix, 88 The regular fortnightly steamer did not call in anywhere near our destination, and day after day passed without any coasting vessel sailing in that direction. 1932 BARBOUR 13 In the case of the Neptune II, unlike many, in fact most of our coasting vessels, the hull was, even with the hold full of freight, well out of water. 1975 BUTLER 50 All my father's years at sea were spent as mate and sometimes cook on various banking and coasting vessels.
   coasting voyage: a passage between settlements for trading purposes.
   1861 DE BOILIEU 176 While afloat on a coasting and trading voyage, I visited some old friends in St Michael's Bay.

Go Back