The presence of the schooners and the income from the trading allowed Anguillian sailing to advance. Shipwrighting and rigging were honed considerably during this period. Foreign exchange earnings allowed the purchase of metal pieces for use on ships, such as hawse-pipes and deck pumps. Anguillians who sailed with Canadian and other crews were able to learn and teach new knowledge and traditions to Anguillian sailing peers, improving sailing knowledge in Anguilla. In addition, due to a Canadian policy of replacing Grand Bank fishing schooners after 10 years. Many of these were purchased by Anguillians. By the end of the 19th century, an impressive number of the roughly 4,000 residents of Anguilla owned a trading sloop or schooner. These Anguillians earned a living with their vessels by running a trading fleet. They mostly made shipments for merchants from more prosperous islands. Uniquely among trading boats in the Caribbean, Anguillian boats deducted running expenses from gross earnings, and then the pay was divided up as follows: The owner earned one third of the net earnings and the remaining two thirds. The captain was then paid an additional half-share of the captain's earning. This scheme, known as the "Share Plan", was typically used by fishermen, but only by traders in this case.
