This is a model of an early Meiji period side-trawing fishing boat that was used on Tokyo Bay. Called an Utasebune, similar boats were used up through the 1950s, though later versions were equipped with a small internal engine for travel to and from the fishing grounds.
When fishing, a mast would be raised, carrying a single, large square-sail. A smaller auxilliary mast was raised near the bow with a smaller square-sail. These were set up so the wind would push the boat sideways, as the boat dragged a large net. The boat's hull provided enough drag to allow the net to be pulled slowly along.
The downward dipping bow is a characteristic that is referred to as Nomeri-type, and is a feature that's only seen on Tokyo Bay. The purpose is to keep the bow low, reducing the effects of the wind on it.
This is a 1/72-scale scratch build, based on drawings recorded in 1868 by French Navy Lieutenant Armand Paris, and published in Souvenirs de Marine Conserves. At this scale, the model is only about 10" long overall, and was made to be scale compatible with my scratch-built Tonegawa Takasebune and my Kitamaebune model, built from a Woody Joe kit.
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