Two boats this time, the second one for comparison.

Teignmouth, Devon, UK 2009

This is one of, I believe, the last four of the original seine boats on the river Teign, net fishing for salmon and also used for the collection of mussels.

The net is cast from the stern, hence no stern thwart. Thole pins are used for the oars, although, by the positioning of the forward fenders, it looks as though they are used less these days.  The pins are set so that the oarsman can row conventionally from the bow thwart or facing forward from the main thwart.

Teignmouth, 2009

Compare the seine boat above with a similarly-sized boat seen at Poole Harbour this week.

There are a number of differences in construction – their functions are not same.

She is broader in the beam, with supported thwarts.

There are positions for three oarsmen, with rowlocks rather than thole pins for the oars.

And there is a hole in the forward thwart. Does anyone know what this is for? Evidently ‘a mast’, but why in this paricular boat?

Poole Harbour, Dorset, UK, 2009

Poole Harbour, 2009