109-year-old fishing boat recreation goes on show at National Maritime Museum Cornwall

A rebuild of a folkloric 109-year-old fishing boat by a master craftsman has gone on display at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in a recreation of one of the oldest surviving small vessels in the country.

The Witch of Worbarrow, an open fishing boat used for catching lobsters and crabs off the coast of Weymouth after being built in 1902, has been copied in minute detail by Ian Baird, resurrecting the traditional clinker built beauty under the alter-ego of The Witch of Weymouth.

"I wanted to build something that was unusual and local to my home county of Dorset," says Baird, who switched careers to become a traditional boat maker.

"Recreating Witch of Worbarrow offered me just that opportunity, as she is unique."

Andy Wyke, the Boat Collection Manager at the Falmouth venue, said the new arrival of a second Witch would intrigue visitors as Halloween approaches.

"It would be impossible to recreate more than 100 years of modification and wear and tear, which her older sister has endured," he added.

"But Ian took great pains to accurately copy the lines of the old boat and the final result is a beautiful representation."

Witch of Worbarrow and Witch of Weymouth will be on display at the museum until the end of December 2011.