History AccommodationNeire Mâove - Rebuild
The building Building such a wooden boat gave place to a rediscovery of the old know-how and a traditional techniques of boat building, still in possession of a few navy carpenters. The yard, build in Carteret in 1991, has been a way of transmitting and valorizing this know-how. The boat was designed by the Jersey naval architect Alan Buchanan, from his own very good knowledge of traditional boats of the islands. More information was found in the archives of the Navy in Cherbourg, at the Jersey Museum, and in Guernsey. Special help came from the Priaulx Library, the articles of Victor Coysh, and from the passion of people such Henry Lenfestey (archives of Guernsey) and David Bisson, boat builder. On the French side, bases of research were given by a specialist, François Renault, author of the excellent book : "Bateaux de Normandie". (*) some technical words are left in French. Please help us to replace them by the English ones.
The frame The keel, stem, stern, as well as the frames and main parts of the boat are in oak. Master carpenter Pierre Legueltel previously draw them on scale 1 on the floor of the yard. He then sawed them and got them assembled. They are carved to sizes, left to open, then assembled on the keel with the varangues *. The keel is stalled so that the frames are perpendicular to the schooner's waterline. Thirty nine frames give to Neire Mâove the necessary solidity to sail and allow it to run aground. The hull The hull planking is in mahogany (doussié) except for the garboard (2), the chine (7), and the wales (6) which as part of the structure are in oak. The schooner's pure lines have allowed to place the planks without need of a steamer to arch them. They are fixed on the frames with special nails "les carvelles". The caulking The space between every plank ("la couture"*) is caulked with flax tow ("l'étoupe"*) under the waterline, and with a braid of cotton above it. The tow is hammered in with an iron caulking tool and a special wooden hammer. This operation gives the hull a complete water proof result for many years, and contributes to the rigidity of the structure. Joints and nails heads are cemended. Then the hull is painted in green under the waterline and in black above. The rigging The rigging is made of three masts : mizzen mast on the stren, main mast in the center, and the tape-cul mast (literally "bottom kicker") at the sterm. The two big masts are gaff rigged with free borders. Above the main sail, a small triangular sail can be set. It is called "voile de flèche" (flitch sail). A large jib takes place on the bowsprit at the stern, and the tape-cul sail at the stem.
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