Fishing boat

The basic equipment of inland and sea fishermen were wooden boats that varied in their size and gear. The boats were made and repaired by shipwrights. This profession was often inherited from generation to generation. An example product of this craft from pre-war Western Pomerania is a boat from the 1930s, most probably made in a workshop in Mielno. It consists of several elements typical for wooden boats, made of oak wood: keel, frames, stem and staves. The keel is the structural axis on which the frames rest, forming the skeleton of the boat. An extension of the keel towards the bow is a sharply curved up stem. The skeleton of the boat is covered with staves, also called planks, which are connected with overlap. In the middle of the hull, there is a bulkhead with a bench and a mast-fish for attaching the mast. The bottom construction is strengthened by floor plates, on which a metal frame was placed to hold the engine. Possibly, the frame with the engine was installed on the boat second-hand. The mast and rudder have not survived to the present day, the propeller and engine are also missing. The boat underwent conservation work at the Conservation Department of the National Museum in Szczecin.

Agnieszka Słowińska