A collection of fishing boat models

Mimosa

This model represents Mimosa, a tuna boat from Sables d’Olonne. At the end of the 19th century, tuna was in abundant supply and was fished by small-scale fishermen on sailing boats. The fish (tuna) was caught on lines borne by fold-away setting booms: one setting boom on each side and up to seven setting boom lines per pole. Once it had been caught, the tuna was gutted and stored in the open air in a type of box using air circulation (fish is better preserved when it is kept cold). 

Sinago

This model represents a sinago, a Golfe du Morbihan lugger. Originally, the Golfe du Morbihan lugger was a small vessel with a pointed stern, rigged with a square sail and used by fishermen from the villages on the Séné peninsula. From the 1850s onwards, it increased in size and lugger rigging with two dipping lugs, notable for their small peaks, was used. The crew normally consisted of 2 people: the captain and his wife. Sinagos were used above all in shrimp dragging (shrimps fished on the sea grass bed) and, often illegally, for fishing for wild oysters.

Cancal Bisquine

The bisquine is a fishing and coasting vessel rigged with two masts comprising two levels of dipping lugs and sometimes a mizzen sail. This type of vessel became popular in Cancale from the 1850s onwards, taking over from the old, local square-sailed boats. No other boat in Europe was rigged with as many sails. They were mainly used for beamtrawling (that is to say using a net in form of a sack, kept open by a pole towed by the boat) and sometimes oyster dragging - activities demanding a lot of power, thus explaining the large number of sails.

Catalane from Collioure

This model represents a sardine and anchovy fishing boat from the western Mediterranean called Catalane from Collioure. It is easily recognisable by its pointed ends. At the front, the traditional “capiau” 14 (part of the stem) is positioned vertically. Nowadays the Catalan fishing boat is used for leisure sailing. 

Sardine lugger

The sardine lugger is the emblematic boat of Douarnenez as well as the Breton coastal areas during the sardine fishing season. With a highly complex technical design, they were built by the hundreds. It dazzled with its elegance and sailing speed - enabling it to return quickly to the port to sell its fish at the best price. Socially speaking, it is the last sailing boat of the big fishermen communities, who, following numerous crises in sardine fishing at the beginning of the 20th century, turned to other types of fishing.