"Bluenose" was completed in April 1921 and performed her sea trials out of Lunenburg. On 15 April, the schooner departed to fish for the first time. "Bluenose", being a Lunenburg schooner, used the dory trawl method. Lunenburg schooners carried eight dories, each manned by two members of the crew, called dorymen. From the dories, lines of strong twine up to long which had lines with hooks on the end spaced every were released, supported at either end by buoys which acted as markers. The dorymen would haul in the catch and then return to the ship. This was done up to four times a day. The fishing season stretched from April to September and schooners stayed up to eight weeks at a time or until their holds were full.