In general terms, vessel powered by a quadrilateral sail which projects forward of the mast. Specifically, a vessel (generally decked and of considerable size) used typically as a drifter and having a single mast which was lowered during fishing; a small steam engine was sometimes fitted for sail- and net-handling. The terms Fifie, Zulu and Scaffie refer to variations within this type, which were unspecified in reports of loss.
The puffer has become a Scottish icon; several examples are preserved, notably at the Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther.
