The astonishing Portuguese muleta fishing boat
- download a larger image here

Rooting around in my pile of old books, I found this illustration, which reminded me of a model I’d seen as a boy in the London Science Museum, which has a fantastic collection of models of craft from around the world.

Here’s the blurb from the book in which I found the illustration. It’s well worth reading, for as well as being an interesting historical survival it seems the boat evolved for a kind of drift netting, and that the rig is a highly adjustable means of adjusting the rate of drift and the boat’s balance before the wind as it slides gently beam-wards.

It also suggests that anyone who once seens one of these boats is unlikely to ever forget the sight, and it seems to be true - even when the sighting concerned is only of a model.

Here’s a photo of the Science Museum’s model.

See illustrations of muletas and similar boats here and here.  There’s an excellent description and a small photo in a newsletter published by European Maritime Heritage. I haven’t been aware of this group, but its website says it is a non-governmental organisation for private owners of traditional ships, as well as for maritime museums and other interested bodies.

Post from: intheboatshed.net