Willie 62 (1880); Service vessel; Coble; Pilot coble

Scale: 1:12. Full hull model of the 'Willie 62' (1880), a pilot coble. Built plank on frame, the model is fitted with rowing thwarts, oars, rudder and tiller. The hull is inscribed with ‘62 Willie’ on bows, and at this scale, it represents a vessel measuring 25 feet in length by 6 feet in the beam.

The coble was a type of boat largely used on the north-east coast of Britain and has a very distinctive shape with a deep forefoot at the bow and a raking transom at the stern. The flat planking towards the stern provides an excellent stable platform from which to fish with nets, longlines and pots. Beached types of coble such as this one usually hang a narrow rectangular rudder that extends well below the bottom, but a shorter one in summer months that easily unships on grounding.