Fra  :Establishing a museum and school building a new shipyard near the old one

By : Raul Villa Caro

Secretario de la Fundación “EXPONAV”

The expression “To the sea, wood” comes from the title of the fifth volume of “Nautical Disquisitions,” published in 1881 by Captain Cesáreo Fernández Duro. With this title, the author sought to give due recognition to those shipbuilders who had not received it until then: the wooden shipwrights. 

Traditional boatbuilding, known locally as “de ribeira.

The construction of a wooden ship is a process governed by the rigorous laws of geometry and mechanics, but it is also imbued with a magical element. Traditionally, throughout coastal Galicia, and especially along its rivers and estuaries, there have been shipbuilding techniques of traditional boatbuilding, known locally as “de ribeira.” This folk knowledge must survive today so that the vessels belonging to a past, yet still very recent, history can be preserved.

Decree 52/2019

It is no coincidence that, by Decree 52/2019 (published in the Official State Gazette), the construction techniques of traditional Galician boatbuilding were declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) in Galicia, recognizing their unique cultural value in shaping the identity of the Galician people and thus contributing to the implementation of the necessary measures for their safeguarding.

It should be noted that Galicia possesses approximately 70% of the Spanish total. Twenty years ago, there were around 4,500 wooden boats in Galicia, a figure that has been reduced to the current 2,500, and the number continues to decline alarmingly.

A voluntary census of traditional Galician boats

It is worth highlighting that the aforementioned decree stipulated that a voluntary census of traditional Galician boats (and historic vessels) could be compiled, following the required positive reports from the Galician Association of Boatbuilding (Agalcari). Therefore, today there are almost one hundred Galician boats on the census (97 to be exact, two of which are historic vessels). The census includes dornas, domas, botes, botes polbeiros, traiñeiras, gamelas, galeones, bucetas, racus, and two sloops. These last two are the historic vessels within the census of the 97 boats.

It should be specified that for a boat to be considered historic, it must have been built before 1950, in coastal areas of Galicia, and have undergone minimal modifications. However, very few meet this standard. Most are from later periods, but they are also recognized for having been built according to models known to the master shipwrights.

History of Galicia 

The technical capacity for boatbuilding in Galicia has existed since ancient times. Examples of this are the petroglyphs of the Vilar River in Oia, or of La Borna in Moaña, which may represent the first documented Galician boats. Here, wooden shipbuilding has been linked to fishing and the transport of goods and people.

In Galicia, for over twenty-five years, groups and associations have been working to protect and promote the history of traditional boats. Among them, the Galician Association of Traditional Boatbuilding (AGALCARI) stands out, bringing together sixteen shipyards and boatbuilding workshops. Only through cooperation can the social value of wooden shipbuilding be recognized as an ecological, sustainable, reliable, and heritage activity.

This sector is immersed in the application of the latest innovative techniques in shipbuilding, particularly in wood. For years, the use of epoxies, laminated wood, or epoxy/wood/polyester combinations has improved the finish, durability, strength, safety, and stability of boats. Furthermore, laminated wood technology eliminates the need for traditional caulking, allowing for a wider range of designs and reduced maintenance

Traditional Shipbuilding at EXPONAV 

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As we mentioned in our guided tours of the Ferrol Naval Construction Museum, the word “shipyard” comes from “splinter,” the remnant of the timbers left after they are cut. The construction of the wooden hull with its internal divisions, the deckhouses, and the launching process all fall under the purview of traditional shipbuilding. In Galicia, two main types of vessels stand out: those with a structural keel and those with a false keel.

Wood was the primary material 

Wood was the primary material used in the construction of ship hulls and rigging until the first third of the 19th century, when the era of iron and steel began. The master carpenter was the person capable of designing a vessel based on one of the traditional typological models. Furthermore, they directed and carried out the construction work, performing any necessary maintenance. In the past, this work involved creating templates, cutting the timbers, laying the keel, and completing the project at the time of launching.

In the central hall on the ground floor of EXPONAV

In the central hall on the ground floor of EXPONAV is the room dedicated to traditional boatbuilding. Among other exhibits, we have the fishing vessel "Brasilia," sectioned to show the internal structure of a wooden boat. We also have an explanatory panel about boatbuilding in traditional boatbuilding workshops, with display cases containing various small tools. This panel is flanked by models of two traditional boats. In the center of the hall, we can see two real traditional boats: a fully constructed boat (with a rounded, U-shaped hull section) and a partially constructed boat (with a cross-section formed by two straight sections joined by a bend, making its construction simpler, faster, and more economical).

In the center of the room, we find a "pulpeiro," a typical Galician Rías fishing boat, followed by a "snipe," a popular sport boat from the second half of the 20th century. Next to this boat are caulking tools, and opposite them, we can see a piece from the Philippines, a testament to this skillful work.

Project for the Construction of a Traditional Boatbuilding School

In the heart of San Cibrao, at the mouth of the Covo River, stood the traditional shipyard of Francisco Fra Rico, the last active boatbuilding business in the Mariña Lucense region. In his workshop, over 200 years old, he preserved tools that were the legacy of seven generations of carpenters. Unfortunately, a fire in the facilities in July 2023 destroyed everything.

But Fra didn't give up, and he subsequently created the "Fra Carpinteiro de Ribeira Foundation" to preserve, disseminate, and promote this craft. Now he presents a project, unique in Galicia, which is expected to come to fruition in the near future. It consists of establishing a museum and school, building a new shipyard near the old one, and making use of an existing building. Last summer, the Coastal Authority granted him a deadline to complete construction before 2033, but he needs support.

With this shipyard training project, Fra aims to develop both traditional and modern technologies. Furthermore, Fra seeks to collaborate with educational centers and universities, also promoting the incorporation of women into a profession historically dominated by men.

https://exponav.org/blog/historia-naval/a-la-mar-madera-la-carpinteria-de-ribera/

#Raul Villa Caro ,#Fra Carpinteiro de Ribeira ,#EXPONAV, #Ferrol Naval Construction Museum ,#Capt. Cesáreo Fernández Duro. , #To the sea wood- , #shipbuilding industry