Ariel
Vessel numberHV000040
Sail NumberC23
Vessel type
The Couta Boat
Builder
JB Jones
Date1927
DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 7.92 m x 7.92 m x 2.74 m x 1.07 m (26 ft x 26 ft x 9 ft x 3.5 ft)
Terms
- fishing
- period
- type/use
- class
- designer
- builder
- construction/repair
- materials used
- cultural
- timber
- carvel
- timber planked
- monohull
- plumb stem
- plumb transom
- displacement
- round bottom
- full keel
- pivoting centreboard
- transom rudder
- internal
- cast iron
- open/foredeck
- tiller
- sloop
- gunter
- synthetic
- timber
- auxiliary motor
- inboard
- diesel
- single
- operational
- floating
- photos
- drawings
- references
- original hull
- partially restored deck
- original layout
- partially restored rigging
- substantially restored sails
- substantially restored gearbox
- couta boat
- cray boat
- Portland
- Couta boat
Jack Arkell bought ARIEL in 1933, and changed the gunter rig to the original couta boat lug-rigged main with its single halyard. This enabled him to work the boat single-handed which he did until he retired in 1973, one of the last fisherman to still use a couta boat under sail. He worked cray pots as well as fishing for barracouta, and did everything as he was first taught, not moving with the times. He was always hauling the pots by hand and took the hooks off the barracouta by "arming" them, putting them under one arm and unhooking with the other hand. He did not bother to use an unhooking rail, or any other improvements. Jack changed the topsides colour from white to black to hide the smudges that came off his tarred dinghy.
ARIEL reverted to being a pleasure boat after Jack Arkell sold the vessel in 1979, and in 2006 it is again rigged with a gunter mainsail yard, the original sailplan.
Update May 2023: The topsides on ARIEL have been repainted white in recent years.
SignificanceARIEL is a wooden couta boat from Victoria built in 1927. It was designed and built by JB Jones who was the sone one of the early builders of couta boats JR JOnes and maintains the traditions established by his father and other couta boat builders. It is also an example of an auxiliary powered couta boat that retained the sailing rig for fishing purposes and primary propulsion.
Vessel Highlights
