"The Filey Coble"
SH 218 The last of its kind fishing off the coast of Filey
The Filey Coble is an open clinker-built type of traditional fishing boat. The distinctive shape of the boat -flat-bottomed and high bowed-arose to cope with the particular conditions prevalent in the area.
Flat bottoms allowed launching from and landing upon shallow sandy beaches, an advantage in this part of the Yorkshire coast, where the wide bay provides little protection from stormy weather.
However, high bows were required to sail in the lumpy North sea and in particular to launch
into surf and to land on the beaches. The design contains relics of both Dutch and Norse influence.
Constructed as required the craftsmanship on many boats gave them a long working life.The old
lug-powered cobles had a reputation as dangerous to sail for an inexperience crew. But today most
are diesel powered.
Designed to be launched into considerable head seas from flat sands, these Filey cobles have
the typical deep forefoot, pronounced sheer and considerable tumblehome of the type. Twin bilge runners (drafts) run right aft.
For both launch and recovery the boats are swung around to go head to sea, the upswept bow rising to meet the oncoming surf. the boats are all kept ashore on wheeled launching trolleys.
Originally, horses were used to launch and recover the lug powered boats but now this is performed by a tractor. The modern cobles, as seen below, often have a small wheelhouse with gantries to support line and pot haulers both possible because there is now no sailing gear.
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Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, in a very short time the
Filey coble will be extinct, which is a sad state of affair for the town.
The photographs below show the Filey coble of yesteryear.
Coming home for the last time
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