Editing Coracle (section)

==Structure==
[[File:Coracle Aug2002.jpg|thumb|Coracle on the [[River Severn]] near [[Ironbridge]]]]

The structure is made of a framework of split and interwoven [[willow]] rods, tied with willow bark. The outer layer was originally an animal skin such as horse or [[Cattle|bullock]] hide (corium),<ref name="eb1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Coracle}}</ref> with a thin layer of [[tar]] to waterproof it; today replaced by tarred [[Calico (textile)|calico]], [[canvas]], or [[fibreglass]]. The Vietnamese/Asian version of the coracle is made of interwoven bamboo and made water proof by using resin and coconut oil.<ref>{{Cite book | publisher = Thames & Hudson | isbn = 0-500-05130-5 | last = Fagan | first = Brian M. | title = The Seventy Great Inventions of the Ancient World | year = 2004 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/seventygreatinve0000unse }}{{page needed|date=January 2021}}</ref> Oval in shape and very similar to half a [[walnut]] shell, the coracle has a [[keel]]-less flat bottom to evenly spread the load across the structure and to reduce the required depth of water; often to only a few inches. This structure helps to make the boat more maneuverable and less likely to snag when used on narrow and/or shallow slow-running waterways.
{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Each coracle is tailored to the local river conditions. In general there is one design per river, but this is not always the case. The [[Teifi]] coracle, for instance, is flat-bottomed, as it is designed to negotiate shallow rapids, common on the river in the summer, while the Carmarthen coracle is rounder and deeper, because it is used in tidal waters on the [[Tywi]], where there are no rapids. Teifi coracles are made from locally harvested wood: willow for the laths (body of the boat), hazel for the weave ({{lang|cy|Y bleth}} in Welsh.) Tywi coracles have been made from sawn ash for a long time. The working boats tend to be made from [[fibreglass]] these days. Teifi coracles use no nails, relying on the interweaving of the laths for structural coherence, whilst the Carmarthen ones use [[copper]] nails and no interweaving.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

They are an effective fishing vessel because, when powered by a skilled person, they hardly disturb the water or the fish, and they can be easily manoeuvred with one arm, while the other arm tends to the net; two coracles to a net. The coracle is propelled by means of a broad-bladed [[paddle]], which traditionally varies in design between different rivers. It is used in a [[Stern sculling|sculling]] action, the blade describing a figure-of-eight pattern in the water. The paddle is used towards the front of the coracle, pulling the boat forward, with the paddler facing in the direction of travel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://koti.kapsi.fi/hvartial/coracle/coracle.htm|title=Plywood lath coracle – Free Boat Plans|website=koti.kapsi.fi}}</ref>

The Welsh Coracle is intended to be carried on the back; Welsh saying is {{lang|cy|Llwyth dyn ei gorwgl}} (load of a man is his coracle).{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}