Irene

Current boat name

Irene

Boat class

7111

Function

Fishing and Hunting

Type

Open boat

Length (m / ft)

4.75 / 15ft 7in

Beam (m / ft)

1.61 / 5ft 3in

Leeward

None

Propulsion

Oar

Designer

Brabyn W

Date of build

c.1910

Place of build

Calenick, Truro, Cornwall

Present use

Museum/NMMC

IRENE was built by William Brabyn of Calenick, near Truro in 1920. She was bought in 1969 by the Trenoweth family and used for fishing until 1993 when she as laid up. Purchased by NMMC in 1999, she was restored by Ralph Bird and the students of Falmouth Marine School. She is an example of the rowing boats used for oyster dredging in the Fal estuary. The operation involves the fisherman anchoring his boat ( usually with a bouyed five pronged grapnel) then rowing back (sheaving out) to part or all of the anchor line (head rope). The he trips (or throws) the dredge over giving its rope as much scope as he judges correct for the conditions. Next he winches the boat up towards the anchor , towing the dredge and (hopefully) scooping up oysters. The dredge is raised up to the stern using the second windlass, lifted inboard and tipped out onto the cultch board to be sorted before sheaving out and repeating the whole process. GH Nov 15 with info from J Bailey.