before the regatta

A fishing boat crew before the Paynesville Regatta. Date unknown. Source; Paynesville Maritime Museum 

I include this as another example of the Gippsland type of boat in the early days of fishing our lake system. We can't date it but it appears to be late C19th. The main sail is lug and the rigging is typically simple and uncomplicated- no backstays or complicated block systems. The boat is probably 28ft or so, but easily beached. It appears that only the sax board or top strake is lapped. Often these early boats had 2 or 3 clinkers above the waterline. The thinking was to keep things smooth below the waterline to make less noise. I find the bowsprit interesting in that it is bending or possibly pointing downwards in a way that became a standard (although longer) on the big Couta boats  further west in Port Philip and Queenscliff.