North Eastern Atlantic

The ocean off the eastern Grain Coast lies seaward of the Kru settlements between the Sinoe River and Cape Palmas. The surf along this coast made skilled canoeing valuable to fishermen and to vessels seeking contact with shore. Kru boatmen became known for their seamanship, and by the late eighteenth century some found work on European ships. Their voyages connected the villages of the coast with ports and ships far beyond the waters in which they had learned their craft.