Sailing the Jumbo you can readily
appreciate why the lug rig remained popular for small fishing boats through to
the last days of sail.
To start with you've a wonderfully clear
working area with the masts out of the way, and no boom to duck under. Even
when close-hauled, the sail and sheets are clear of the work area.
This, combined with her modest size and
manageable rig makes the Jumbo an ideal craft on which to relearn skills and
explore the potential of fishing for a living – under sail.
Our aim is to establish a racing class of
these boats at St.Ives in order to regenerate a
waterfront community in decline. How much more effective it would be if, in addition, these boats could be used for the purpose
for which they were designed whilst providing a seasonal income for a couple of
individuals!
Clearly, there may come a time when, in
addition to any green, carbon neutral credentials, a sail operated fishery
could become commercially viable or at least a natural way of conserving resources
(as demonstrated by the Falmouth oyster fishery -much celebrated as the last in
the world to be worked under sail).
In the meantime the skills required need to
be developed.
There's a growing recognition that this
approach would at least address some serious issues; the sustainability of fish
stocks, the rising cost of fuel, the dependence on imported goods and the lack
of employment opportunities in rural areas to name a few.
And if successful, the model could be
readily repeated elsewhere.
Only a few months ago such a proposal would
have been dismissed as romantic fantasy. So far
however, my inquiries have been met with a degree
of excitement .
Stephen Perham, the Harbour
Master of Clovelly, who has been working the herring
season there for decades, explained he has been thinking of reviving the 'picarooner' (their jumbo equivalent) for the purpose. It's
no coincidence that a replica of this particular craft is currently under
construction by students on the Traditional Boatbuilding Course at
Nathan De Rozarieux,
the Project Director of Seafood Cornwall reckons there's sufficient public
awareness to support a significant premium for
'zero-carbon' fish when sold direct to the customer. This would ensure a market
for the smallest catches.
This view is shared by Matthew Stevens MD
of Matthew Stevens and Son, the regions leading supplier of fish and seafood
based in St.Ives, who enthusiastically supports the
principal of this initiative.
Even the authorities are supportive. The
Marine Fisheries Agency at Newlyn inform
me that obstructive legislation has been amended to allow unlicenced
(unpowered) vessels of under 10m. to
land and sell fish.
Without realising
it individuals from each of the contributing sectors: boatbuilders,
part-time fishermen, fishing authorities, and marketting
have been quietly thinking along parallel lines but as yet have not joined
forces.
We are on the threshold of a revival that
could see several small, inshore and engineless fleets
springing up around our shores over the next decade.
The logical place to start is where we left
off – and engines took over.
Sceptical? Of course –
but just think where the organic industry was only 30 years ago!
Jonny Nance, November 2007