A Sgoth or ''Sgoth Niseach'' is a traditional type of

clinker built Clinker built (also known as lapstrake) is a method of boat building where the edges of hull planks overlap each other. Where necessary in larger craft, shorter planks can be joined end to end, creating a longer strake or hull plank. The techniq ...

skiff A skiff is any of a variety of essentially unrelated styles of small boats. Traditionally, these are coastal craft or river craft used for leisure, as a utility craft, and for fishing, and have a one-person or small crew. Sailing skiffs have deve ...

with a dipping lug rig, a

Lateen A lateen (from French ''latine'', meaning "Latin") or latin-rig is a triangular sail set on a long yard mounted at an angle on the mast, and running in a fore-and-aft direction. The settee can be considered to be an associated type of the same ...

style sail, built mainly in Ness, in the

Western Isles The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...

of Scotland. The boats were

traditional fishing boat Traditionally, many different kinds of boats have been used as fishing boats to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Even today, many traditional fishing boats are still in use. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Org ...

s, particularly for line fishing, during the 19th century and until the early half of the twentieth century.Ness Historical Society page with some Sgoth history
There are several still owned, used and maintained by community trusts. The rig of a Sgoth is unusual in that the yard is longer than the mast, all of the rig fits comfortably within the boat as the mast was lowered when working with the lines. The boats were beach launched, when they were a float they were loaded with ballast of stones from the shore; during fishing the stone ballast would be replaced by the catch. As line fishing died out in the islands, the numbers of boats being built dwindled. In 1935 ''Jubilee'' was launched; she would be the last original working Sgoth. By this time the boats had been reduced to a fleetof around 27, and fishing was concentrated more to inshore waters. These are sometimes referred to as 'three quarter size' Sgoth Niseach. Jubilee was restored as a community sailing boat in 1978, and more recently in 2005, and is operated by the community boat trust 'Falmadair'. She is based in Stornoway where she sails regularly, taking out members of the public as crew. In 1994, a full size (33 feet) replica Sgoth was built in Stornoway by John Murdo Macleod, as the subject of a documentary film called ''An Sgoth''. The boat was named ''An Sulaire'' (The Gannet). Another three-quarter Sgoth ''Oigh Niseach'' (24 feet) built in Port of Ness in 1980 by John Murdo Macleod for Teddy Grey of the Garrygualach Adventure Centre is now operated by Raasay House on the island of

Raasay Raasay (; gd, Ratharsair) or the Isle of Raasay is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound. It is famous for being the birt ...

. ''Bluebird'' a half sized (16 ft) Sgoth is based in Ness.

References

External links

Falmadair

Photos of the boatsModel of a Sgoth
at the National Maritime Museum
An Sulaire Trust
Sailboat types Types of fishing vessels Isle of Lewis Scottish design Fishing in Scotland {{ship-type-stub