In 1898 a political firestorm
surrounded the creation of Newfoundland’s Alphabet Fleet. But before long
these coastal boats became a beloved part of the fabric of life in
Newfoundland and Labrador. These ships carried bright-eyed young teachers to
their first outport assignments. They brought wedding dresses to excited
brides and Christmas parcels and letters to eager hands. They carried people
home from city hospitals and the dead to be buried in family plots. Through
crew and passenger recollections, this book brings the Alphabet Fleet to
life. It also vividly describes the heroics and disasters associated with
these legendary vessels.
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