Sailing Smack Painting by James Williamson

Sailing Smack

by James Williamson

Canvas Print

$70

Framed Print

$88

Art Print

$22

Poster

$22

Metal Print

$76

Acrylic Print

$84

Wood Print

$56

Tapestry

$41

Throw Pillow

$25

Fleece Blanket

$48

Duvet Cover

$95

Shower Curtain

$66

Bath Towel

$35

Ornament

$9.50

Jigsaw Puzzle

$38

Tote Bag

$24

Weekender Tote Bag

$43

Zip Pouch

$25

Portable Battery Charger

$47

Yoga Mat

$60

Greeting Card

$4.95

Spiral Notebook

$15

Sticker

$3.50

iPhone Case

$27

Beach Towel

$35

Round Beach Towel

$70

Weekender Tote Bag

$43

Coffee Mug

$14

Men's Clothing

$24

Women's Clothing

$24

Youth Clothing

$20

Toddler Clothing

$18

Baby Clothing

$22

Original - Not For Sale

Price

Not Specified

Dimensions

13.000 x 10.000 inches

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Title

Sailing Smack

Artist

James Williamson

Medium

Painting - Watercolor

Description

Douglas Sailing Smack
Artwork by James Williamson, recreated as a fine art print by Fine Art America.

Artist James Williamson ASMA,
Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists

The sailing smacks evolved through many centuries and their origins are now undiscoverable. They were built, owned and fished from small ports of Ireland and England.

Basically, the Irish smack was a cutter rigged fishing vessel having various forms and dimensions for different fisheries. There were three principal types: small smacks up to about 12 tons mainly used for estuary dredging and trawling: 12 to 18 tonners which also did this work besides fishing coastwise, spratting and oystering; and seagoing smacks over 20 tons and fished far afield. All were noted for windward ability, seaworthiness and speed.

Several hundred smacks were sailed from Ireland by the early 19th century. Fishermen dredged oysters coastwise and deep-sea oysters and scallops wherever these could be found around the Irish, British Isles and off the French coasts. They spratted with the stow net in winter, carried fish, and salvaged from the large number of wrecks off the coast in the days of merchant sail. Brightlingsea shipyards built many hundreds of smacks and small wooded ships. Its seamen took to professional yachting and achieved a great reputation until the noted summer aspect of Irish seafaring ended in 1939.
Gaff: A wooden spar used to extend the heads of fore-and-aft sails that are not set on stays.

Gaff-Topsail: A triangular or quadrilateral sail, the head of which is extended on a small gaff that hoists on the topmast.
Gaff rig held sway over a large part of the sailing world for 250 years, was displaced by the Bermudian rig with its superior windward performance and is now enjoying a revival.

The skill of the 18th and 19th century shipbuilders is revealed in the intricacies of the standing and running rigging, the masts and spars, and the variety of sails, while each study of the various gaff rigged craft is a cameo of sailing history. Viewing this original painting reflect upon the vessels, the colorful personalities who built and sailed them, and the contemporary circumstances surrounding the decline of such boats as the pilot cutters, Essex smacks and Grand Banks fishing schooners.

During the past sixty years the rig of fore-and-aft sailing craft has been affected by two principal factors: the rapid decline and extinction of craft working under sail and the widespread adoption of the Bermudian rig for yachts. The unquestionably superior windward performance of Bermudian rig applied to a suitable hull form has resulted in almost blind acceptance of that rig as being best for yachts of almost all types, and for all purposes and conditions. There are many Bermudian rigged yachts of great beauty, but many cruising yachtsmen prefer gaff rig for practical conditions of sail handling and lying more easily at anchor in a breeze. To others a well-built wooded craft of superior traditional design, with gaff rig, is also a thing of beauty, apart from its functional utility. Some are attracted by the rig's connection with working craft of the past.

Gaff rigged working vessels were built and sailed with remarkable skill by humble men. Although long since superseded by powered craft their memory, and that of their crews, still commands respect for products of the endeavors of usually small communities, earning a hard living from the sea and breeding the best qualities of seafaring. To them the gaff rig was a tool of trade whose handling was often drudgery, but could also be an art of pride, excelled from competence to perfection by some seamen.

Gaff rig propelled types as widely contrasting as great racing cutters setting 14000 square feet of sail on one mast, to the humble 18-foot waterman's boat, beating out on an errand to some ship in an estuary.