The ''ferilla'' or ''firilla'' is a

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 ...

from

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

. It bears similarities to the '' dgħajsa tal-pass'', but it is of stronger construction. The ''ferilla'' developed in the 17th century and it was common until about 1900. Some examples of this boat type still exist but they are rare.

History

The fishing boat which came to be known as the ''ferilla'' developed in the 17th century. At the time, it does not seem to have had a specific name, and the term ''ferilla'' referred to a type of small passenger boat which operated between

Birgu Birgu ( , ), also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ('Victorious City'), is an old Fortifications of Birgu, fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the Port Region, Malta, Port Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory ...

and

Senglea Senglea ( ), also known by its title Città Invicta (or Civitas Invicta), is a fortified city in the Port Region of Malta. It is one of the Three Cities in the Grand Harbour area, the other two being Cospicua and Vittoriosa, and has a popu ...

. By the 19th century, the fishing boat became known as the ''ferilla''. The ''ferilla'' tended to remain relatively close to land, initially due to fear of

Barbary pirates The Barbary corsairs, Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen (in Muslim sources) were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the largely independent Barbary states. This area was known in Europe as the Barba ...

. It was the most popular type of boat used by Maltese fishermen until around 1900. A few examples still survive in

Marsaxlokk Marsaxlokk () is a small, traditional fishing village in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta. It has a harbour, and is a tourist attraction known for its views, fishing and history. As of March 2014, the village had a populati ...

St. Paul's Bay Saint Paul's Bay () is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Region. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. As per the 2021 population census, it has also ...

and possibly

Gozo Gozo ( ), known in classical antiquity, antiquity as Gaulos, is an island in the Malta#The Maltese archipelago, Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After the Malta Island, island of Malta ...

. There have been attempts to make replicas of this type of boat out of fibreglass. The boat also participated in the annual rowing regatta held in the Grand Harbour on

8 September Events Pre-1600 * 70 – After the capture of Herod's Palace the previous day, a Roman army under Titus secures and plunders the city of Jerusalem. * 617 – Battle of Huoyi: Li Yuan defeats a Sui dynasty army, opening the path to h ...

from 1822 until it was replaced by the '' frejgatina'' in 1935.

Description

The ''ferilla'' bears many similarities to the '' dgħajsa tal-pass'', but it was more sturdy since it was not confined to sheltered harbours. It has a taller forestem and a higher

freeboard In sailing and boating, a vessel's freeboard is the distance from the waterline to the upper deck level, measured at the lowest point of sheer where water can enter the boat or ship. In commercial vessels, the latter criterion measured relativ ...

than the ''dgħajsa''. The bows of the ''ferilla'' usually depict the

Eye of Horus The Eye of Horus, also known as left ''wedjat'' eye or ''udjat'' eye, specular to the Eye of Ra (right ''wedjat'' eye), is a concept and symbol in ancient Egyptian religion that represents well-being, healing, and protection. It derives from th ...

. The ''ferilla'' is usually less than long, and it was equipped with both oars and sails with a

sprit The spritsail is a four-sided, fore-and-aft sail that is supported at its highest points by the mast and a diagonally running spar known as the sprit. The foot of the sail can be stretched by a boom or held loose-footed just by its sheets. A sp ...

rig. The boats have removable washboards. The ''ferilla'' is recognizable by its very tall fore stem and short aft stem, some examples carried a double layer of gunwhale (the area that rests above the ''tappiera'', which is painted brown on today's boats). These boats carried a ''tarkija'' sail, a type of

spritsail The spritsail is a four-sided, fore-and-aft sail that is supported at its highest points by the mast and a diagonally running spar known as the sprit. The foot of the sail can be stretched by a boom or held loose-footed just by its sheets. A ...

that has the foot of the yard resting on the ''bank il-lasta'' rather than being lashed to the mast.

References

{{fishing vessel topics Boat types Types of fishing vessels Culture of Malta Maritime history of Malta