Fifie
4074706
219687941
2008-06-16T12:32:31Z
194.35.219.101
{{fishing traditional vessel topics}}
[[Image:Reaper in sail.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The ''Reaper'' under full sail.]]
The '''Fifie''' is a design of sailing boat developed on the east coast of [[Scotland]]. It was used by Scottish [[fishing|fishermen]] from the 1850s until well into the 20th century. These boats were mainly used to fish for [[herring]] using [[drift net]]s, and along with other designs of boat were known as herring drifters.
While the boats varied in design, they can be categorised by their vertical stem and [[stern]], their long straight [[keel]] and wide [[Beam (nautical)|beam]]. These attributes made the Fifies very stable in the water and allowed them to carry a very large set of sails. The long keel, however, made them difficult to manoeuvre in small [[Harbor|harbours]].
[[Image:Fifiesmall.gif|center|330px|A sailing Fifie, showing the main dipping lug and the mizzen standing lug.]]
Sailing Fifies had two masts with the standard rig consisting of a [[Mast (sailing)|main]] dipping [[lugger|lugsail]] and a [[Mast (sailing)|mizzen]] standing lug sail. The masts were positioned far forward and aft on the boat to give the maximum clear working space amidships. A large fifie could reach just over 20 metres in length. Because of their large sail area they were very fast sailing boats.
[[Image:Harbour027.jpg|thumb|200px|left|A postcard showing the St. Abbs fishing fleet of Fifies putting to sea.]]
Fifies built after 1860 were all decked and from 1870s onwards the bigger boats were built with carvel planking, i.e. the planks were laid edge to edge instead of the overlapping [[Clinker (boat building)|clinker style]] of previous boats. From about 1905 onwards sailing Fifies were gradually fitted with engines and converted to motorised vessels.
There are few surviving examples of this type of fishing boat still in existence. The [[Scottish Fisheries Museum]] based in [[Anstruther]], [[Fife]] has restored and still sails a classic example of this type of vessel named the ''[[Reaper (sailing vessel)|Reaper]]''. The Swan Trust in [[Lerwick]], [[Shetland Islands|Shetland]] have restored and maintain another Fifie, ''The Swan'', as a sail training vessel. She now takes over 1000 trainees each year, and has taken trainees to participate in the ''[[Cutty Sark]]'' [[The Tall Ships' Races|Tall Ships Races]] to ports in [[France]], [[Denmark]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Ireland]] as well as around the [[United Kingdom|UK]]
<gallery>
Image:Harbour045.jpg| A sailing Fifie, lying in [[St. Abbs]] Harbour. This postcard illustrates the vertical stem and stern of the Fifie design.
Image:Fifie_drifter_Reaper.JPG| The restored sailing Fifie, ''Reaper'' visiting [[St Andrews]] in Fife.
Image:Reaper Anstruther.jpg| ''Reaper'' in her home port of Anstruther
</gallery>
==References==
<references />
==External links==
* [http://sites.scran.ac.uk/secf_final/silver/index.php The history of herring fishing on the east coast of Scotland]
* [http://www.scotfishmuseum.org/ Scottish Fisheries Museum]
* [http://www.swantrust.org.uk/ The Swan Trust]
{{Sailing Vessels and Rigs}}
[[Category:Sailing vessels and rigging]]
[[Category:Sailboat types]]
[[Category:Fishing vessels]]
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[[ja:フィフィー]]