Well-boat

They [the "Hollanders", that is, Dutch] have One Hundred Dogger-Boats, of One Hundred and Fifty Tuns a piece, or thereabouts: Seaven Hundred Pincks and Well-Boats, from Sixty to One Hundred Tuns a piece; which altogether fiſh upon the Coaſts of England and Scotland, for Cod and Ling only; [...]

In our way we overtook a great Jonk that came from Palimbam, a Town on the Iſland Sumatra: [...] This Veſſel was of the Chineſe make, full of little Rooms or Partitions like our Well-boats, [...]

[T]hough the people fiſhed ever ſo often, they could never find any ſigns of lobſters being in this part of the ſea: they were therefore continually brought in great wellboats from New England, where they are plentiful; but it happened that one of theſe wellboats broke in pieces near Hellgate, about ten Engliſh miles from New York, and all the lobſters in it got off. Since that time they have ſo multiplied in this part of the ſea, that they are now caught in the greateſt abundance.

VIII. And it be further enacted by the Authority aforeſaid, That no Live Salmon, Salmon Trout, Turbot, Large Freſh Cod, Half Freſh Cod, Haddock, Seate, Freſh Ling, Soles or Whitings, ſhall at any Time after the Arrival thereof at the Nore as aforeſaid be put into any Well Boat or Store Boat from or out of any ſuch Fishing Ship, Sloop, Smack or other Fiſhing Veſſel or Veſſels as aforeſaid, in which the ſame ſhall have been brought to the Nore; [...]

And the rivers are moſt of them very full of fiſh, eſpecially in the back country, to which parties are made in boats with nets; in which excurſions ſhooting is joined: the fiſh they take are brought home alive in well-boats, and put into their ſtores: [...]

Where circumstances permit, they [the fish] are in general used in a fresh state; and even in large cities, where the supply must be brought from a distance, various expedients are resorted to, to prevent the progress of putrefaction. By far the best contrivance for this purpose is the well-boat, in which fish may be brought to the place of sale even in a living state.

When taken, the crabs are kept alive in well[-]boats, until wanted.

A well boat or small vessel with a water compartment, to which sea water has access, is ideal for the transportation of marine specimens. There are many such vessels in use along the Atlantic coast wherever it is customary to carry fishes and lobsters to market alive. [...] The New York Aquarium has a well boat for this work, which permits great extension of the collecting field and gives excellent results.