Traditional Boats

"A Fifie Taking in Sail" - watercolour - 18 x 26 cm

 
 

In the days of sail, when boats were built locally, each part of the British Isles had its own traditional design. I don't know much about boats but I doubt whether modern vessels have so much local character. One of the most common boats on the East Coast of Scotland was the “Fifie”, a sturdy wooden vessel with a long, broad hull and two masts.

It occurred to me that my mother would have been pleased to see these paintings. She used to paint seascapes in oils, under the name of Mary Lowe. She loved the Dutch seascape and landscape paintings of the 17th Century and she worked in a similar style.

"Fishing Boats in a Harbour Mouth" by Mary Lowe - oil - 18 x 26 cm