The distinctive shape of the boat — flat-bottomed and high-bowed — arose to cope with the particular conditions prevalent. Flat bottoms allowed launching from and landing upon shallow, sandy beaches; an advantage in this part of the coast where the wide bays and inlets provided little shelter from stormy weather. However, fishermen required high bows to sail in the dangerous North Sea and in particular to launch into the surf and to land on the beaches. The design contains relics of Norse influence, though in the main it shows Dutch origin. From a wiki (a Coble) Ray Coblers Monday ~ a day off probably following a good catch at the weekend ~ a bit like Colliers Monday!
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