VICTORIA
Marlo Coastal Rowing
Location: Marlo, Victoria, Australia
About:
Marlo Coastal rowing is made up of a small group of keen rowers, but open to all to participate. The Summer months make a difference to attendance. We row every Sunday morning.
The Snowy Estuary being relatively sheltered allows us to row in quite strong winds. We now have made a Mast and Sail. (A Dipping Lug Rig, a progression from a Square Sail.) We sometimes row out and sail home, adding interest to the boating activity.
The Shetland Connection. My Father was a Native of the Islands and as a child I had two Summer holidays in Shetland, and Boats and Ships were part of everyday life for all.
As soon as I became aware of the St. Isles Skiff, I recognised it as of Shetland design. The St. Ayles Skiff is patterned on the Fair Isles Skiff, one of a number of traditional models. They were all of similar shapes, being double enders, but varied in length and purpose, the largest of them being a Thirty Footer known as the Sixareen. Most of the different models were rowed or sailed, but the Fair Isle Boat having to contend with strong Tides, its principle propulsion was rowing. She has a flatter bottom rather than the sharper floors of the other models.
When there as a child these boats were still in use in the Traditional manner being for Fishing, transport of People, Goods and Live Stock and in Regattas. Motor Vehicles at that time being few. We have the Norwegians to thank for the original design of these boats, brought with them when some left home, otherwise known as the “Vikings”. Many of them stayed in Shetland and the Islands became a staging post for Voyages to and from Norway to the Faroe Isles and Iceland.
The boats were imported to Shetland from Norway as complete boats, but were also built and pricked together parts numbered, dismantled and imported in Kit Form, maybe the first form of flat packs, possibly where Ikea got its ideas from, and reassembled in Shetland.
It was an ambition of mine to build a Shetland Boat, having a basic plan for the Fourareen Model, but then stumbled on the St. Isles Skiff Kit. The boat was built by myself, Harry Ferrier, with assistance from my Wife, Daughter and friends. The name “Da Mirrie Dancer” is Shetland dialect for the “Northern Lights”.
(In the words of Dave Craigie)
Contacts: David Craigie, davidcraigie@bigpond.com
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