Howard Blackburn (1859–1932) was a skilled Canadian American fisherman. Despite enduring frostbite and losing his digits while stranded on a dory at sea in 1883, he later had a thriving career as a businessman in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Born in Port Medway, Nova Scotia in 1859, Howard Blackburn later relocated to Massachusetts at the age of 18. His motivation was to find employment as a fisherman and he eventually became an esteemed member of the Gloucester fishing community.

In 1883, Blackburn gained recognition for his brave actions. While on a fishing trip aboard the schooner Grace L. Fears, he and his dorymate were caught off guard by a sudden winter storm in their Banks dory, causing them to become separated from the schooner. Despite losing his mittens, Blackburn refused to give up and began rowing towards shore. He cleverly hooked his hands to continue rowing despite the freezing temperatures. In an attempt to save one hand with a sock, he unfortunately ended up worsening his condition by freezing his toes without being able to save his fingers. Tragically, Blackburn's crewmate succumbed to the conditions and passed away on the second day. Determined to give him a proper burial, Blackburn carried his body to shore.

Following five days without proper nourishment, hydration, or rest, he successfully reached the shores of Newfoundland. While his hands were attended to for frostbite, they could not be salvaged, resulting in the loss of all his fingers and a significant number of toes and both thumbs up to the first joint.

Bringing glory to Gloucester, Blackburn triumphantly returned as a celebrated figure and, with the aid of the town's support, established a prosperous saloon. Not satisfied with this accomplishment, he arranged for an expedition to the Klondike to partake in the gold rush. Opting for a different route, he and his team set sail via Cape Horn instead of traveling overland. However, due to some discord with his partners, Howard departed from the group in San Francisco after a brief detour to Portland, Oregon for lumber funding. He ultimately returned home without ever trying his hand at panning for gold.

Following his failed attempt at finding gold, Blackburn set his sights on a different feat - sailing alone across the Atlantic Ocean. While this had already been achieved by Alfred "Centennial" Johnson in 1876 and Joshua Slocum in 1898, it would be a remarkable accomplishment for a man with no fingers. Departing from Gloucester, Massachusetts in 1899 on the modified Gloucester Fishing Sloop called Great Western, he arrived in Gloucester, England after 62 days at sea.

After achieving success in Gloucester, Massachusetts as a businessman, Blackburn's desire for adventure remained strong. In 1901, he embarked on a 39-day voyage to Portugal aboard the twenty-five-foot fishing sloop Great Republic. Two years later, he once again set sail alone, this time in the sailing dory America; however, bad weather hindered his journey. Blackburn also completed a circumnavigation of the Eastern United States by traveling down the Mississippi River and returning up the Eastern Seaboard. Today, visitors can view both the Sloop "Great Republic" and Dory "America" at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester.

In 1932, Blackburn passed away and a multitude of Gloucester locals paid their respects at his funeral. His final resting place is in the Fishermen's Rest area of Beechbrook Cemetery. Musician Allen Estes immortalized Blackburn's tale in the song "Not With Ya Hands"