Accommodation RebuildNeire Mâove - History
Designation Besides its own identity, the traditional sailing boat that the Association has chosen to rebuild has an extra particularity : located on the Cotentin's coast as well as in the channel Islands, disappeared during the thirties, there was no longer any specific term to name that particular type of boat : Bisquine, Lugger, Lougre, Drifter, Goélette, Guernsey's schooner were some of the local names. An usual name had to be chosen : Cotentin's Schooner appeared to be the most appropriate. History The Cotentin's Schooner belongs to the large family of flambarts and bisquines. She is the technological result of both sailors and boat builders' idea of a well adapted local boat. This type of vessel first appeared in the middle of the 19th century. It then evolved and the original lugger rigging changed progressively and turned into its final particular schooner rigging at the beginning of our century. Fishermen appreciated their sea-going qualities, the small schooners were used for pots and long-lines fishing. They could be found in the little harburs and "havres" of the French coast, and in the bays of Sark and Guernsey. The bigger ones (28 to 42 feet) were used for long lines and drift nets, fishing up to the English coasts. They were also used for island to island, or island to Normandy coasting. Some of them made very good pilot boats, especially in St Peter Port. Schooners were used as well for all sorts of little jobs, like sea-weed picking ("vraicing" in Jersey-French), or as visitors' launches, especially in Sark. The particularities of all this uses, and the sailing conditions, strong currents, tides and reefs of the area, have determined the specificity of the Cotentin's Schooners and their genuine rigging.
In Carteret, the schooners were named CELESTINE (owner E.CESNE) or LA MOUETTE (owner NICOLLE). In Portbail, MARIE-JEANNE (owner ELIARD), or LEONTINE (customs boat). Together with the sloops and cutters from Barfleur, Cherbourg and the islands, these sailing boats formed the local fleet at the beginning of the century. The boats set sail at flood tide to settle their pots and nets between Portbail, Les Ecrehou and Dielette. Their route took the tide currents in account, and in case of dead calm, fishermen used to set one of several pairs of oars to carry on their way. Sometimes, during the touristy season, some of them used to embark friends or visitors for fishing parties to Les Ecrehou, or a day in Jersey. The traffic with the islands was active at that time, when many season workers used to go and work in Jersey to pick up new potatoes and do others jobs in the farms. Description NEIRE MÂOVE is the boat that was chosen to represent again this family of typical schooners. She belongs to the big units. Her design was based on the shapes of the LILIAN (builder Henry BISSON, Guernsey), based in St Peter Port. LILAIN used to sail for open sea fishing (nets and long lines) and as pilot boat, represents the last evolution of the local schooners. NEIRE MÂOVE is 14 meters long (more than 23 meters with the lowsprit and sternboom) and 4 meters wide on her larger beam. She has a 2,40 meters draught and weighs 28 tons with full equipment. She carries 180 square meters of sail.
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