Sixareen
Encyclopedia
The sixareen or sixern ( meaning "six-oared") is a traditional fishing boat used around the Shetland Islands. It is a clinker-built boat, evolved as a larger version of the yoal
, when the need arose for crews to fish further from shore. The first of the sixareens were, like the yoal, imported from Norway
in kit form until the mid 19th century, when increasing import duty made it more cost effective to import the raw materials and build the boats in Shetland.
As with the yoal, all the parts of a sixareen have names, which are usually found only in the Shetland dialect
, although many of the names are derived from the old Norse language. The names of the parts listed here include the English name and where possible, the Norwegian name.
There are six separate rooms, or sections in a sixareen: The fore head where sails and tackle were stored, the fore room, the mid room where stones for ballast were placed, the owsin room which was kept clear for owsin (bailing) out water using an owsekerri, the shot room where the catch was stowed, and the kannie where the skipper sat at the helm.
The compartments in the boat were separated by tafts on which the crew sat, fiskabrods under the tafts which stopped the catch and fishing gear from shifting between rooms, and by baands, the frames to which the boards were fixed.
The boards, named from the keel upwards, were the boddam runner, the hassen, the 1st & 2nd swills, the laands (4 boards), and the reebin, the upper board, inside which the wale
or gunwale was fixed. At the bow and stern the boards were fixed to the stammerin before attaching to the fore and aft stems. The reebin was additionally strengthened by the breast hook or hinny spot where it met the horn at the top of the stem.
, in the north of Yell
, in what became known as The Gloup Disaster.
Although it is not clear when the last sixareens were built for fishing, it is likely to be not much later than the late 1880s, by which time it was seen that larger boats were the way forward for the local fishing industry.
Two sixareens were built in the 20th century. In the 1980s Duncan Sandison of Unst
realised that the sixareen was very much a boat of the past, as there were none left in Unst
. With the help of a group of volunteers, after 800 hours work, the "Far Haaf", a replica sixareen was completed in 1988, but was destroyed by a hurricane which swept the isles in 1992. Another "Far Haaf" was built and launched in 1993. She now occupies a special enclosure outside the Unst boat haven.
Yoal
The Yoal, often referred to as the Ness Yoal, is a clinker built craft used traditionally in the Shetland Islands. It is designed primarily for rowing, but which also handles well under her traditional square sail when running before the wind or on a broad reach...
, when the need arose for crews to fish further from shore. The first of the sixareens were, like the yoal, imported from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in kit form until the mid 19th century, when increasing import duty made it more cost effective to import the raw materials and build the boats in Shetland.
Construction and terminology
The sixareen was so named because she was crewed by six men, each man rowing a single oar, unlike the yoal where three men rowed a pair of oars each. The size of a sixareen was about 25–30 feet overall, with a beam of 7–8 feet. The boat carried a square sail which was used when the wind was favourable, but often in light winds or in a head wind the crew could row for many hours to complete their journey. Fishing trips usually were over 3 days, with the boats making 2 trips each week when the weather permitted.As with the yoal, all the parts of a sixareen have names, which are usually found only in the Shetland dialect
Shetlandic
Shetlandic, usually referred to as Shetland by native speakers, is spoken in the Shetland Islands north of mainland Scotland and is, like Orcadian, a dialect of Insular Scots...
, although many of the names are derived from the old Norse language. The names of the parts listed here include the English name and where possible, the Norwegian name.
There are six separate rooms, or sections in a sixareen: The fore head where sails and tackle were stored, the fore room, the mid room where stones for ballast were placed, the owsin room which was kept clear for owsin (bailing) out water using an owsekerri, the shot room where the catch was stowed, and the kannie where the skipper sat at the helm.
The compartments in the boat were separated by tafts on which the crew sat, fiskabrods under the tafts which stopped the catch and fishing gear from shifting between rooms, and by baands, the frames to which the boards were fixed.
The boards, named from the keel upwards, were the boddam runner, the hassen, the 1st & 2nd swills, the laands (4 boards), and the reebin, the upper board, inside which the wale
Wale
A wale is a broad, thick plank around the outside of a wooden ship.The garboard is the wale next to the keel; the gunwale is the top such plank and covers the heads of the timbers between the main and fore drifts....
or gunwale was fixed. At the bow and stern the boards were fixed to the stammerin before attaching to the fore and aft stems. The reebin was additionally strengthened by the breast hook or hinny spot where it met the horn at the top of the stem.
History
While the yoal was used for inshore fishing, and seldom ventured more than 10 miles from land, the sixareen was used to fish up to 40 miles from Shetland. Because of this, and the unpredictable nature of the weather in northern waters, the loss of boats and lives was high. The worst losses were on 16 July 1832 when 17 boats and 105 men were lost in a severe gale, and again on 21 July 1881 when a sudden and violent summer storm claimed 10 boats and 58 men, mostly from GloupGloup
Note: Gloup is common in Scottish placenames referring to a sea jet.Gloup is a village in the far north of the island of Yell in the Shetland Islands. It lends its name to nearby island of Gloup Holm....
, in the north of Yell
Yell
Yell is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 957. It is the second largest island in Shetland after the Mainland with an area of , and is the third most populous in the archipelago , after the Mainland and Whalsay.The island's...
, in what became known as The Gloup Disaster.
Although it is not clear when the last sixareens were built for fishing, it is likely to be not much later than the late 1880s, by which time it was seen that larger boats were the way forward for the local fishing industry.
Two sixareens were built in the 20th century. In the 1980s Duncan Sandison of Unst
Unst
Unst is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is the northernmost of the inhabited British Isles and is the third largest island in Shetland after the Mainland and Yell. It has an area of .Unst is largely grassland, with coastal cliffs...
realised that the sixareen was very much a boat of the past, as there were none left in Unst
Unst
Unst is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is the northernmost of the inhabited British Isles and is the third largest island in Shetland after the Mainland and Yell. It has an area of .Unst is largely grassland, with coastal cliffs...
. With the help of a group of volunteers, after 800 hours work, the "Far Haaf", a replica sixareen was completed in 1988, but was destroyed by a hurricane which swept the isles in 1992. Another "Far Haaf" was built and launched in 1993. She now occupies a special enclosure outside the Unst boat haven.
External links
- The Haaf Fishing - A scalloway Junior High School project
- Link leads to a downloadable "Resource pack for fishing and the Gloup desaster 1881".
- Shetland Museum - Sixareen
- Undiscovered Scotland - Unst Boat Haven
- Unst Boat Haven
- Picture Gallery of new Sixareen Building Project in Shetland