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 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?

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. 

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."

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