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TheGalway hooker (Irish:húicéir) is atraditional fishing boat used inGalway Bay off the west coast ofIreland. The hooker was developed for the strong seas there. It is identified by its sharp, clean entry, bluff bow, markedtumblehome and rakedtransom. Its sail plan consists of a single mast with a main sail and two foresails. Traditionally, the boat is black (being coated in pitch) and the sails are a dark red-brown.
From the late 20th century, there has been a revival of and renewed interest in the Galway hooker, and the boats are still being constructed. The festival ofCruinniú na mBád is held each year, when boats race across Galway Bay fromConnemara toKinvara on the border betweenCounty Galway andCounty Clare.
The hooker refers to four classes of boats. All are named inIrish. TheBád Mór (big boat) ranges in length from 10.5 to 13.5 metres (35 to 44 feet). The smallerLeathbhád (half-boat) is about 10 metres (28 feet) in length. Both theBád Mór andLeathbhád are decked forward of the mast. These boats were used to carryturf to be used as fuel acrossGalway Bay fromConnemara andCounty Mayo to theAran Islands and theBurren. The boats often broughtlimestone on the return journeys, to neutralise the acid soils of Connemara and Mayo. TheGleoiteog ranges in length from 7 to 9 metres (24 to 28 feet), and has the same sails and rigging as the larger boats. They were used for fishing and carrying cargo. Another boat, thePúcán, is similar in size to theGleoiteog but has alug mainsail and a foresail. These smaller boats were entirely open.[1]
There was also a class fitted with a cockpit floor over the ballast used for fishing. When the Irish settlers at Boston in North America needed fishing craft, they built the hooker that they knew from home. These boats became known as 'Boston Hookers', 'Irish Cutters' (in official reports), or 'Paddy Boats'.[2]
While a utilitarian boat, suited for the shallow waters of Galway Bay and being capable of being beached where necessary, the Galway Hooker is prone to being swamped and sinking in a short time in the absence of a cabin and high freeboard. Eighty-two shipwrecks are recorded in the unpublished 'Shipwreck Inventory of Wrecks for Galway Bay'. These wrecks date to between 1750 and 1938; of them, 59 are from the 19th century. No records are known to exist for the period prior to the 18th century. Cargo throughout this period would usually be held in wooden casks varnished with fish oil for waterproofing.
The origins of the craft are not clear and remain a matter of conjecture.[3] A major spark in the revival of interest was the publication in 1983 ofThe Galway Hookers: Sailing work boats of Galway Bay (Richard J. Scott, d 24/01/08)—now in its fourth edition—in which for the first time detailed construction and sail plans were published.
