ZULUS AND LINE BOATS (5)
Zulus proved popular in other corners of Britain, most notably the west coast of Ireland where the Irish Congested Board funded the building of some in Scotland that were taken out there to work amongst the remote communities. So successful were they that many more were built there. One, the Leenan Head, has survived and has been rebuilt to her former state in northern France. Various smaller types of boats worked long-lines inshore. Zulu skiffs were smaller examples of the larger boats under 30ft in length. Similarly fifie yawls were built and were about the same size. Various examples of both remain.
Bigger fifies were called 'Bauldies' and these were around the 45-50ft mark. They were named after the Italian patriot Garibaldi who was fighting for identity in the nineteenth century. The best remaining bauldie is perhaps the Isabella Fortuna, built in Arbroath and currently being rebuilt by Wick Heritage Centre.
Fraserburgh yoles developed in the third decade of this century as the motor boats were evolving. Peculiar to the town, these were similar to the bauldies but more pointed in the stern and had more raking sternposts from zulu influence. Various examples remain today, several working out of Peterhead. Double-ended creel boats are still to be seen in Anstruther and other harbours and these appear to have evolved from the larger boats. Motorisation caused the sailing fifie to take precedent over most of the other types, so that the new motor fifies led on from these. However, with the introduction of the new range of diesel engined cruiser-sterned boats, the days of the hugely successful fifies and zulus were finally over.
(From article in the Fishing News).
