Capstan Island is a settlement in Newfoundland and Labrador. Located along the Labrador Straits or Strait of Belle Isle, which is a major shipping/export route to oversea destinations, Capstan Island is a small community of 27 residents. It is primarily known for its rich fishing grounds.

Why is it called a capstan?

History. The word, connected with the Old French capestan or cabestan(t), from Old Provençal cabestan, from capestre "pulley cord," from Latin capistrum, -a halter, from capere, to take hold of, seems to have come into English (14th century) from Portuguese or Spanish shipmen at the time of the Crusades.

When was the capstan invented?

The capstan is generally considered to be a Spanish invention, dating to around the 14th century. The first capstans were merely logs placed vertically through the body of a ship.