Boats and Fishing
COBLES
Origin
No certain origin for the design of the coble has been ascertained. Its use along the North-East coast at least as far south as Yorkshire implies that the boat was introduced by the Anglians or the Vikings. Its first mention is in the Lindisfarne Glosses, a translation into Old English added in the late 10th century to the Latin of the famous Lindisfarne Gospels manuscript. The word has parallels with the Welsh ceubal/ceubol, and structurally with the Irish curragh. It is hard to rule out British/Celtic influence on the coble design. By 1248 the English form of the word as 'cobel' had been established: it is likely the structural principles of the coble were worked out some centuries earlier.
Form
The coble has no formal keel but depends on the strength of its clinker-built (overlapping) planks or strakes, reinforced by ribs or stretchers, put in place once the hull was complete. The square sloping transom or stern helped in launching the boat from the beach, while two bilge clogs below acted as runners. The graceful lines of the coble, with its high prow and narrow stern, distinguish a very practical inshore fishing vessel.
Dimensions
Over 27 foot would represent a full coble, examples often being of smaller dimensions.
Rudder needs to be long, about quarter length of boat at waterline.
Bow should rise twice height of stern, viewed on land
Mast should be a length so that it fits inside the boat, not longer
Transom should be half the beam at its widest
Overall length approx 4 times beam
Coble words from Amble
hud – small cabin
scorbles than drafts (side runners)
flithers – limpets or anything similar used for bait
inwiver – inner rail, compare 'toe-rail'
sandstrake (next the keel)
scut (stern of coble)
skaning (cleaning limpets for use as bait)
swole – box or frame for lines
snood (short extension of fishing line)
thowle (thole-pin)
from Cullercoats
dodger, hud, or sheet, not cuddy (re covered shelter on coble)… cuddy might be used for a small locker or the like
scut-top not scut-board
listin's not binns (external strips)
dhan – float for line of lobster pots
inwiver (inner rail)
swill not skep (frame for winding baited line)
monk not spout (entry to crab pot)
[Frank Taylor]