Nailing model from the building of Nornour

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Nailing model from the building of Nornour by Gerald Pearne of Looe in 1971 for St Mary’s, demonstrating the gigs’ clinker construction and fastening. It shows the stages of securing planks with copper nails or ‘rivets’. Nails are held inside by ‘roves’ or copper washers, by trimming them and driving them down over the roves. Planks are made of narrow-leaf elm, making them both durable and flexible, strong and light. They are only ¼ inch thick! This allowed gigs to be carried when needed – it could be a 100m haul up from the sea to the gig sheds at low water, as the project surveys show.

Nornour was kept at Pendrathen, before moving to the new, traditional style sheds at Porth Mellon. Pendrathen was used for pilotage, and transport between the islands, from c1759. Old gigs kept there included Boot, Chance, Railway, and Whaler, and the Bee that ended up on St Agnes. Remains of their houses include Norman’s Shed, a gig shed rebuilt slightly shorter, leaving part of the old wall protruding behind it.