n/a

Current boat name

n/a

Boat class

7490

Function

Fishing and Hunting

Type

Length (m / ft)

1.42 / 4ft 8in

Beam (m / ft)

0.94 / 3ft 1in

Propulsion

Paddle

Designer

Traditional

Date of build

1984

Present use

Museum/NMMC

Built in 1964 by Mr J E Davis. Coracles, from the Welsh corwgl meaning carcass, are probably one of the oldest means of water transport known in Britain. Mostly rectangular with rounded corners, they are built in various patterns which have evolved on certain rivers. The basic construction is a wooden frame of interwoven ash laths, around which is stitched a canvas or calico skin which is then covered with hot pitch to shrink it on to the frame, producing a watertight hull. Other variations include using animal hide proofed with natural oils. They are remarkably light, can be carried on the shoulders and used in as little as10 inches of water. Paddled from either side or over the front, they are used by salmon fishermen in pairs on rivers in the Borders and Wales. October 2007