Stowboating (fishing) on Essex sailing smack MARIA

No ordinary fishing: Paul Winter, owner of the traditional Essex sailing smack MARIA (CK21), explains 'stowboating', a historical method of fishing in boats for 'sprats'. Sprattus sprattus, the Latin name for 'sprats', is a type of fish sometimes sold as whitebait and is part of the herring family (Clupeidae). In the Essex village of Brightlingsea, the 'spratting boom'-the heyday of fishing for sprats-in gaff-rigged, engineless smacks was from the early 1800s until the early part of the 19th Century. MARIA is an engineless Essex smack built in 1866 by Harris Brothers in Rowhedge (UK). She's seen in this video being 'pushed' along by her smack's boat (a tender) in a slightly hurried attempt to try and 'stowboat' - fish - on the last of the flood tide. Later in this trip, as an ESE wind filled in, they repositioned the smack to a better position to use the ebb tide, around Colne Point, at the entrance to the River Colne in the Blackwater Estuary. Maria's owner, Paul Winter, re-enacts this type of fishing to honour her original design and purpose. She's kept beautifully and sailed so well, she's probably in my top five boats of all time! Big thanks to Paul Winter for a great day out again, thanks to Dave Quested for tender driving :-). If you like this video please subscribe to our YouTube channel! Shot and edited by Emily Harris: https://www.emilyharrisphotography.co.uk/ References and credits: The Stowboaters by Hervey Benham Illustrations by James Dodds, Dr J Murie, Dennis Heard Harman family photographs MacGregor family photographs The Smacksman by George Goldsmith Carter 'The Essay: A Circumnavigation of the British Isles in Five Traditional Boats: The Essex Smack' BBC Radio 3 Soundtrack: 'This Place' Ben Winwood 'Scottish Highlands' Ben Winwood 'Reunion' Ben Winwood 'Time With A Friend' Ben Winwood 'Waiting And Hoping' Lance Conrad 'Floating' DaniHaDani 'Sunbreath' Megks