THE COBLE.
No boat is more distinctive in type than the coble of the north-east coast. Their high, sharp bow and long, flat floor adapt them for rough water and for beaching stern foremost through surf. Their speed and performance in a sea, as compared with the speed and performance of a well-formed and well-handled yacht of similar length, are, however, no doubt exaggerated. Running before a sea they require clever handling, as, on account of the excessive fore gripe, they evince a tendency to fly up in the wind or broach to. The peculiarly deep rudder checks this tendeicy somewhat, but the rudders are generally so narrow that they do not keep the boat so straight as they might be kept with some keel " drag." How ever, " drag" would be inimical to beaching stern first, as the small draught aft (with rudder unshipped) admits of their being landed high on a beach; and the sharp, high, and flaring bow keeps the surf from breaking on board. The coble is very weatherly, and is perhaps seen to greatest advantage when hanging up against a head sea or wind.
The side keels (shown by k in the cross sections) overlap the fore keel at A. The fore keel sometimes is at least a third shorter than shown.
The boats are measured for length from the heel of the sternpost to the scarph of the stem or fore foot, and this length is called the " ram." The length of the "ram" varies from 15ft. to 40ft., and the extreme breadth is about one-fourth the length over all. The drawing on page 379 was made by Mr. G. Christopher Davies from a typical boat of 20ft. length. The mast of such a boat is stepped 5ft. 6in. from the
stem, and rakes aft as shown (Fig. 110). It is about 14ft. above the gun wale, and the only stay is the halyard brought to the weather side. The sail is a square, flat-headed, dipping lug, with tack fast to the weather bow, a little forward of the mast. In moderate weather a jib and wizen are carried. When a jib is carried, the tack of the lug is brought to the mast; but they are not then considered so weatherly as they are when the tack is on the weather bow. The boats are made to carry their canvas a long time, and the only ballast used consists of bags of sand.
The Yorkshire cobles are generally round-sterned, and have very hollow bows at the load line, and a great deal of shoulder above. The Durham and Northumbrian boats are fuller at the load line. Builders of these boats are Mr. Cambridge, of Filey; Mr. Hopwood, of Flam borough; and Mr. Trotter, of South Shields. The Filey boats are noted for good qualities under canvas.
At Cullerwater there is a squadron of " private" cobles, of which Sir Hedworth Williamson is commodore. The leading dimensions of the Lalage, one of the most noted of this fleet, is as under : The lug wizen is, mast for mast, of proportionate dimensions. The jib is about 10ft. on the foot. Standing lugs would probably be found much handier for ordinary work, as the constant dipping in beating to windward would be avoided.