Traditional boat definition

In the wake of the Ferrol gathering two years ago, this year we will have another Traditional Boats Gathering, this time in the lovely fishing village of Muros on July 9-12. See:

http://www.mardemuros.com/index.html (galician language)

Some 150 boats will attend and all of you are invited to come end enjoy this big "fiesta". A pavillion has been ready for free sleeping and lunchs for the four days only cost 20 euros.

I'll be there, not as lecturer this time but as an avid learner at the technical session.

Cheers

 

was it successful last time?
Did you come to a consensus on "traditional"?

I doubt you will since many designs have evolved pertaining to the local conditions. Hence each "tradition" is different.

 

before ww2

 

Ad Hoc,
We have only a vague technical definition we need to improve. Still discussing these matters.

Thanks, Peter.

Cheers.

 

may i ask the reason for defining it, and making the definition so prescriptive?...it is being driven by legislation?

 

There are various reasons,
Firts is the keeping of heritage. We need to be able to as accurately as possible decide what is a traditional boat and what's not.

There's a second issue related to the necessary permissions to build a boat (so the technical documentation to be presentd to the authorities) and then how that boat is going to be used by the public (liability issues).

Cheers.

 

Well..as for "old", such as "tradition"..surely this is dictated by the local sea/weather conditions and local materials to build with, and then this 'drives' the type of vessel. But materials have changed, legislation has been slowly introduced, as have safety features, all these contribute to render a "traditional" boat no longer "traditional". Hence it would be next to impossible to follow exactly a traditional boat design/build, in this sense.
So surely this becomes more of a historical perspective?

This would surely then drive the second issue.

 

Maybe I'm far astray here...?

Should a traditional boat always be considered linked to an ethnical group? In some areas there are at least two ethnical groups, both choose the boat that functions best for the local conditions; riverboats have evolved in many different areas of the world, but in my opinion the hull shape have very similar spec. So in some cases, the location, river, narrow channels, flowing water, makes it sensible with a long slender hull, also for reducing the "spin"... Forests are also normally available.

Other traditional boats, kajaks, balsa fleet, straw boats, built locally, by local materials... ( The first eskimo to take the "roll" must have been a special person, pretty close to Darwin award... Icy waters....).

Heritage boats; I feel that some of the following boats may come in under this group: War ships, or other boats, taken care of, due to the history they represent, either individually, or as an example. Record breaking boats, speed.... Change of design, hull, sail, engine, the first (or one of the first) decked boat. Following this line of thought the first hollowed out log should clearly be on that list. (can almost hear someone yell: "hey! you're destroying a perfect log! stop doing that!").

 

What I wanted to point out with my post above here, some traditional vessels forms, have evolved pretty similar in many places, hence the environment to operate the vessel in and the materials available have meant more for the direction of the development than the ethnic group using the vessel.

Mainly wood, but as stated; Other materials also; animal skins, bones, straw, balsa....

Simple and effective rigs and maneouvres.... Just want to point out; not alway as manouvrable as one might wish....

 

"...Should a traditional boat always be considered linked to an ethnical group?.."

hence the posting of:

"...surely this is dictated by the local sea/weather conditions and local materials to build with, and then this 'drives' the type of vessel..."

Whatever 'ethnic' group you consider, their methods will always be considered "local".

 

The Dover Bronze Age boat.

3500 years ago, a group of Celts seem to have decided to bury their boat for whatever reason and in 1992 it was discovered, preserved in mud and silt, during work to widen the A20 road in Dover, Kent. It was originally built using traditional methods with only very basic hand tools, then sewn together with tree roots and caulked with moss. Sounds like stitch and glue to me.

http://www.canterburytrust.co.uk/hilights/d_boat.htm

http://www.doverdc.co.uk/museum/bronze_age_boat.aspx

http://www.archaeology.co.uk/the-timeline-of-britain/the-dover-bronze-age-boat.htm