What were they like?

Paul Taylor, who worked on three of these boats, “The Wee Coble”, OB 226 “Iolair” and OB 209 says of them:

“The Wee Coble” was a lovely little boat but slow and wet. Old with lots of little bits sticking out to catch a net, but predictable in the sea. Dreadful bilge pump and loose floorboards, easy to slip but still a cracking wee boat. Caught plenty of fish.

OB 226 “Iolair”  What a boat! Everything worked, everything was tight and in place, nothing to snag but heavy to handle, plenty of windage. She was fast and seaworthy, but  not a boat to love. I always thought of her as a seagoing lorry. She did the job.

OB 209  Sometimes  I called her “Hope” sometimes “Faith”  What a beautiful boat.  Form and function in perfect balance.  Great sea boat. Easy to work with two of a crew. Excellent engine even though a bit noisy. Tight, no leaks.  This was the best of the three………….easily.  Sadly, by the 1980s there were not many fish to catch

Photo 711

Paul and Lorna Taylor, with Mick in OB 209