Tag Archives: F/V Illusion
Capt. Mark Phillips and the Illusion, the last of its kind
‘It’s not fish you’re buying – it’s men’s lives.’’ – Sir Walter Scott. The Predator sits dockside in Greenport, behind Alice’s Fish Market, a rusting hulk of a fishing trawler, 75 feet long and with no certain future to speak of. It is Mark Phillips’ boat, but he is away most days trolling offshore for squid in his other trawler, the Illusion. “It is not going to sea anytime soon,” Phillips said by cellphone, an edge of weary disgust in his voice. “The Predator’s days have come and gone.” The Illusion was dragging for squid near Nantucket on a hot day in mid-July. Phillips had started that week near Jones Inlet on western Long Island, but the ocean had heated up and the squid, which don’t like warm water, were scarce, so he moved the Illusion farther east in pursuit of success. >click to read<09:41
On Long Island, fishing is a family business and a way of life
Mark and Mary Bess Phillips are among a dwindling number of commercial fishing families on Long Island. On Wednesday, July 25, they discussed their experiences while their boat the “Illusion” was docked at Greenport Harbor. >click to watch<08:34
Coast Guard medevacs ill fisherman off Atlantic City, NJ
The Coast Guard medevaced a fisherman, who reportedly suffered from a respiratory issue Thursday, approximately 60 miles east of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay’s command center were notified by crewmembers of the fishing vessel Illusion of the ailing crewmember at approximately 6 a.m. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Willow, a 225-foot seagoing buoy tender homeported in Newport, Rhode Island, was directed by Sector Delaware Bay watchstanders to the Illusion and took the man aboard,,, >Video, click here < 15:35
Georges Bank said to be ‘paved with fluke! Fishermen Assail NOAA Quotas – Schumer fears major job losses
Commercial fishermen on the draggers seen offshore last week took advantage of calmer seas and the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s raising of the daily limit on fluke from 70 to 210 pounds. The higher limit was in effect from Dec. 18 through Friday as the state’s annual quota for the fish, highly sought by commercial and recreational fishermen alike, had not been reached.,, Mark Phillips, who fishes on the F/V Illusion out of Greenport, was once among the largest harvesters of fluke in the state, landing a few hundred thousand pounds per year, by his count. The problem, Mr. Phillips said, is that stock assessments are inaccurate because NOAA conducts surveys — such as with its ship the Henry B. Bigelow, which collects data in waters from Maine to North Carolina — when fluke are migrating from undersea canyons to inshore waters. Read the story here 14:49
Chatham Coast Guard crew medevacs injured fisherman
Coast Guard Station Chatham crewmembers medevaced an injured fisherman Saturday night near the entrance of Great Round Shoal. A person aboard the fishing boat Illusion, which was about 30 miles east of Nantucket en route to its homeport of New Bedford, contacted Coast Guard watchstanders Saturday and reported a crewmember suffered a severe hand laceration and required immediate medical attention. A response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Chatham launched with two fire department EMTs aboard to rendezvous with Illusion and aid the fisherman. The Coast Guard and fishing boat met at the entrance of Great Round Shoal where the injured fisherman was transferred aboard the Coast Guard boat. The EMTs provided the man care while he was transported to Saquatucket Harbor to awaiting emergency medical services personnel. Link 12:05
