Category: Traditional carvel

Traditional carvel plans and boatbuilding

Fishing boats of Goa, photographed by Ranjan Mitra

Fishing boats of Goa Fishing boats of Goa

Fishing boats of Goa Fishing boats of Goa Fishing boats of Goa

Fishing boats of Goa Fishing boats of Goa Fishing boats of Goa

Fishing boats of Goa Fishing boats of Goa Fishing boats of Goa

Fishing boats of Goa Fishing boats of Goa Fishing boats of Goa

Ranjan Mitra took these photos of fishing boats on the coast of Goa, a small and relatively affluent Indian state with an Arabian Sea coastline.

Ranjan is a colleague of my brother Matt Atkin and seems to have been inspired by Matt’s habit on business trips of slipping down to the nearest beach or harbour to take shots for intheboatshed.net.  Thanks Ranjan! (Matt’s photos can be found by following this link.)

The motorised fishing boats take the classic form of a high bow for dealing with rough water and low sides aft to allow the fishermen access to work with nets and gear, while the outrigger dugouts seem to be a fascinating link to prehistoric times.

Goa bears many signs of its domination by Portugal from the 16th century, including a city named after the Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama.  The state was annexed by India in 1961.

There are a couple of interesting articles online including this paper, which describes the local craft, and another describing a visitor’s experiences in the mid-1990s, including ancient types such as dugouts and sewn plank boats caulked with tar.

Shackleton polar expedition photos by Frank Hursley

Frank Hurley photos from Shackleton expedition Frank Hurley photos from Shackleton expedition

Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914-17 expedition was an attempt to cross Antarctica from one side to the other via the South Pole, but in January 1915 the expedition ship, the Endurance, became locked in the ice of the Weddell Sea, which slowly crushed and finally sank the vessel over the following months, while Shackleton and his men camped on the ice.

The photos above by expedition photographer Frank Hursley are from this period – a much bigger selection can be seen at howtobearetronaut.com.

Eventually they were able to travel with their boats to Elephant Island, from which a small group led by Shackleton sailed one of the Endurance’s ship’s boats, the Sir James Caird, over a distance of 800 miles to the the inhabited island of South Georgia to get help.

For more posts about Shackleton’s Endurance expedition and about the celebrated Sir James Caird voyage to South Georgia click here; for photos of South Georgia itself, click here.

Kentish Sail Association takes the Sea Cadets out on a barge, and publishes its 2012 calendar

A group of Faversham Sea Cadets had a day’s sailing on board a traditional sailing barge in October thanks to the Kentish Sail Association.

The KSA is best known for organising the Swale Match each year, but getting youngsters afloat in traditional vessels in order to ‘introduce and encourage youngsters in the handling of traditional sail’ is also one of the organisation’s main aims.

The barge chartered for the purpose was the Greta. Strong winds were forecast but I gather the cadets were keen to get sailing and skipper Steve Norris decided to head out of Whitstable Harbour on the clear understanding that if the wind got too strong he would turn and run back in.

In the event they had a wonderful morning on the water: Steve got the boys setting the big sails, with even the smallest getting involved in heaving on the ropes, and they also took turns at the wheel.

Another development is the 2012 KSA calendar, which is now available. It features a selection of photos from last year’s Swale Match and a couple from earlier occasions. It’s available from outlets in Faversham, such as the chandlery at Iron Wharf, but can also be ordered by mail, priced at £10, plus £2 for post and packing in the UK. Write to KSA, 13 Abbey Street, Faversham, Kent ME13 7BE, making the cheque out to the ‘Kentish Sail Association’.