Fifie steam capstan - for hauling nets, sails or both?

[Rik Thistle]

I'm curious as to what the purpose of the steam capstan on a Fifie drift net fishing boat is.

 

As the title says, was the capstan used for hauling up the sail (or sails?) and/or pulling in the nets?

I watched Jim Duthie and Andrew Strachan being interviewd on - 'life on ZULU and FIFIE herring drifters' ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xitrXHT4LU) 

 

Jim and Andrew have good, strong regional accents and use auld Scots language. Some of the comments I picked up are...

5.50 mins - "steam capstan for hauling the sail"

9.12  - life in sail boats versus steam drifters

9.45  - hauling nets - differences between sail boats and drifters ...net over stern?

10.55 Sail boat has coal stove, and a boiler for the steam capstan to howse (?) the mast and the fish.

The impression I got was that the steam capstan was initailly introduced to assist with lifting the large sails, and then later also used to haul in the nets. But I could be completely wrong.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks,

Richard

 

 

 

[Blue Ensign]

I think you are correct Richard.

The steam capstan was introduced in 1884 by a company called Elliott and Garrood. It must have been a boon to the crews of fishing boats when raising those huge lug sails.. I have also read that it was used to assist in hauling the nets, no surprise given that the nets could stretch for half a mile; must have been quite a drag when they were full of fish.

B.E.

[Rik Thistle]

Thanks BE.

 

After watching the above video I ended up watching 3 or 4 more YT videos containing old footage of trawlers (mostly around 1920s-1940s) and listening to old fishermen talk about the life on board....fascinating stuff. 

 

It would have been great if there were colour footage of the earlier Fifies but colour cinematography only started to become a thing in the 1920s onwards and widespread from the 1940s.

 

All the best,

 

Richard

 

 

 

[Ras Ambrioso]

I have been researching the steam capstan use in the Fifies and to date have found no data as to where is the engine. It seems that the vertical winch/capstan in the Amati kit and and a few of the other builds I've seen are driven from below deck. The rectangular box on the top of the winch must be the gear box. There is also only one steam line coming from the hold which I figure is the exhaust steam from the engine. Does any of you know where is the engine and how does it looks? And also, how do they control this winch?

[Ras Ambrioso]

I did more research on the winch/capstan.The ones shown for the Fifie were made by Elliott & Garroods and a small two cylinder steam engine is located on the upper section  of the capstan. The capstan shaft is hollow and the steam supply pipe runs through the center from the boiler below deck. The steam is exhausted from the foot of the capstan and piped to the bulkwark.

 

It appears that there is a valve on the top for the steam and a lever that I assume is the clutch.

 

Folowing is a model that shows the valve and lever.

 

And they definitely used it to retrieve the net's messenger cable and help with the sails