Watchet Boat Museum - The Old Goods Shed, Harbour Road, Watchet Flatners are small double-ended boats with no keel, once widely used for a variety of purposes in Somerset, and the museum is dedicated to their history and preservation. Located in the Old Victorian Goods Shed, next to the Railway Station, a visit provides an interesting and informative trip for the family and includes boats and artefacts, photographs and charts.
Admission to the museum is free, and the museum is run by the Friends ofthe Flatner.
Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from Easter to October. 14.00-16.00
For more information contact John Nash, 01984 633117
The Museum is run by the Friends of the Flatner.a voluntary group of enthusiasts, boat builders and sailors.
Flatners are small, double-ended boats with no keel. Once commonly used for a variety of purposes in Somerset, they have all but vanished.
We feel it important that the history of these boats should be
preserved for future generations. We aim to collect, preserve and use as many of these boats as we can find and we have the largest collection of them in the world. A continuing programme of research is under way into their construction and use.
Follow the evolution of these simple craft, from the basic turf boat.through river and bay boats, right up to their present use as day boats for leisure sailing.
The Withy Boats and Turf Boats,
between 16 and 20 feet long, were used
on the Somerset levels to carry peat and withies to market. The boats were of simple and often crude construction the sides being either flat elm boards or clinker built and were pulled along the banks of the many drainage ditches which cover the Levels.
The River Boats, around 19 to 20 feet long, are of similar construction, but the
bottom is gently curved both ways into a long narrow pointed spoon shape to allow the boats to be launched down the sloping muddy banks of the local rivers, in particular the River Parrett. Used as fishing boats, they were rowed upstream with the incoming tide and salmon were 'dipped' out of the water with a large dip net. River boats are still in limited use on the Parrett, but built with plywood sides coated with GRP and fitted with an outboard engine. Overfishing in the Atlantic has reduced the catch available and killed off what was once an important local industry.
Further developments of the river boat were the Bay Boat and Gore Boat. Fitted with a simple sprit or jib headed sail, a long rudder and a dagge board, they were used in Bridgwater Bay for other types of fishing and are said
to have brought coal and sheep from
South Wales. The Weston-Super-Mare
boats were larger at around 23 feet
and were used for pleasure trips in the
summer and fishing in the winter.
The boats used in Watchet were known as flattie; and had an extra layer of planking on the bottom as they were launched down the rocky foreshores in the area. Generally with a two man crew and around 20 feet in length, these boats were originally built with flat elm planked sides, although clinker built examples are known. More recently they have been built using suitable plywood for the sides.
We are in the Old Goods Shed, Harbour Road, Watchet, directly opposite the West Somerset Railway Station.
Opening hours are:
Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 2pm to 4pm, from Easter to October.
Visits outside these hours are welcome and easily arranged, for groups or individuals. The Museum has a range of study material available, but please make an appointment to view.
Wheelchair access to ground floor only.
Contacts:
John Nash 01984 633117 Bruce Scott 01984 634242 Email info@wbm.org.uk
www.wbm.org.uk
The Hon Secretary The Friends Of the Flatner 14 Wedlakes, Watchet TA23 OJL 01984 633804
Membership of FOFA is open to all, for a minimum annual fee of £5. Should you wish to build your own flatner, plans are available.
President:
Commander Gl Mayes OBE C Eng MRINA
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