SAILING FISHING BOATS - THE FIFIE

Although the exact origins of the fifie are as yet still unknown, they, without doubt, have come from the ancient Kingdom of Fife, where the coastal folk were said to be fishing on a comparatively large scale at the time of the Vikingıs incursion to that coast. Even when the Dutch were commanding the North Sea herring, they managed to export herring to Holland.

These days the fifie is instantly recognised by its upright stem and stern, although I hasten to add that there arenıt many of these sailing fifies left, as we all know. Two jump to mind - the REAPER, FR958 and the ISABELLA FORTUNA, WK499, both being lug-rigged, while another - the SWAN, LK243 is gaff-rigged in the Shetland way. However there are many small fifie yawls and skiffs around - such as the VINE, SY234 mentioned later in this issue. And from the original sailing fifies came the evolution of the motor fifies such as the MILKY WAY, LK106; PILOT US, LK271 and dozens more.

The earliest documented fifies were 35 - 40 foot in length, and not quite too rigid in their profile uprightness. Then, as decked boats were introduced in the second half of the nineteenth century they expanded in length. Innovations in fishing methods, steam capstans and a huge improvements in the fortunes of the herring fishers enabled bigger boats to be built. So came the era of the massive lugsails that the fifies and zulus are renowned for.

The fifies, although superseded to some extent by the Moray Firth zulus in the 1880s and afterwards, remained popular along the southern part of the Scottish east coast. They were deemed easier to operate, especially when drifting for herring. The zulu was said to be more manoeuvrable, but at the expense of sea-keeping abilities.

Bauldies were small fifies - around 45 foot long - that were used for line fishing. The small yawls sometimes set smaılines and often creels. When the herring fishing in the Outer Hebrides was opened up by the east coast fishers, they took with them their fifies and the design of craft altered considerably in the islands in duplication of the east coast craft.. So evolved the Barra line boats and other vernacular craft of the Scottish northern west coast.

Iım often asked about the difference between a fifie yawl and a fifie skiff. At present I donıt know the answer, although I tend to think there is no difference. Labels can so often be misleading. A yawl is small sailing boat, as is a skiff in Scotland. The same question is applied to zulu skiffs and yawls. Different areas, different fishermen indeed, call their craft by differing names. Itıs not important. What is important is the influences that have enabled varying boatbuilders build their craft to suit the local conditions that the fishermen demanded.