Page:Shetland Folk-Lore - Spence - 1899.pdf/133

 selecting a new boat, the service of an expert was commonly required to examine the börds, in order to detect the presence of windy knots or wattery swirls in the wood. The presence of these indicated that the boat was liable to störa-brooken, i.e., blown up by the wind on land, or misförn at sea.

I was told by an old man that he called on a brother-fisherman to examine a boat that he had got built. After a careful overhaul of the newly built craft, he said: "Doo may hae a heavy haand, bit never a faerd haert. Watter 'ill no hurt dy boat, bit wind will. Tak' my wird, an' shord 'er weel." For ten long years this boat was used with safety and success, and every time she returned from sea was yerd-fasted in the winter noost. It came to pass, however, on a fair September night that they landed from the piltik eela, intending to make an early start for the ling raiths. As there were no signs of an impending storm, the boat was temporarily shored on