Falkuša
A falkusa (Croatian: falkuša; Croatian pronunciation: [ˈfalkuʃa]) is a traditional fishing boat used by fishermen from the town of Komiža on the Adriatic island of Vis, Croatia. Falkuša is a subtype of gajeta, a traditional Dalmatian fishing sailboat, and is sometimes called gajeta falkuša (Croatian pronunciation: [ˈɡajeta ˈfalkuʃa]).[1] Its design was adapted to the specific needs of Komiža fishermen, who went to long fishing expeditions in the open seas,[1] a unique practice in the Adriatic and Mediterranean.[2]
Design and construction
The Falkuša is a unique wooden boat, tapered narrowly on both sides,
For its characteristics of toughness and strength, the traditional gajeta falkuša was made only with
A typical falkuša carried a crew of six men.[4] There were five oars for standing oarsmen which were 7 to 9 meters in length.[1][4] The fishermen used nets and a feral, a gas or petroleum lamp for attracting fish.[1] Fishing trips lasted 20 to 25 days, to make them financially viable.[4] Duties such as cooking, washing, repairing, sailing between fishing posts and dealing with bad weather left only 10 to 12 days for actual fishing in a typical journey.[4]
Fishermen's regatta
The main fishing ground exploited by Komiža's fishermen was the island of
Fishermen of Komiža would hold an annual
The first known regatta to Palagruža was held as far back as 1593
With the advent of ship engines, the regatta lost its purpose,[8] and its last edition was held in 1936.[3] Falkuša was used well into the first half of the 20th century.[1] The last gajeta falkuša of the island of Komiža, named Cicibela, was destroyed and sunk by a storm in the Bay of Porat (Biševo island) in 1986.[7] Today its remains are preserved in the Fishing Museum in Komiža.[7][9]
Replicas
A replica of a falkuša named Comeza-Lisboa ("
In 1999 under UNESCO and with shipwright's documentation supplied by Velimir Salamon, a five-metre reduced-scale replica of the legendary falkuša was built. It was named Molo. It was built in Komiža and launched into the sea on Saint Nicholas Day (December 6). The secretary of the European Maritime Heritage, Thedo Fruithof from Amsterdam, was present at the launch.[10] A second full-scale replica, named Mikula, was finished in 2005.[11] A third full-scale replica, named Palagruža, was finished in 2015.[12]
See also
- Boat building
- Traditional fishing boats
- Komiža
- Palagruža
- Bracera
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Bernetic, Vlado (January 23, 2007). "Gajeta falkusa at the Marine Biology Station Piran". mbss.org. Ljubljana: National Institute of Biology. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
- ^ a b c Krnić, Denis (August 22, 2009). "Rota Palagruzona kao zazivanje duhova komiških ribara". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Retrieved 2010-02-20.
- ^ ISSN 0353-9504. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kivela, Jakša. "The Falkuša". nika-adventure-tours.com. Nika Adventure Tours. Archived from the original on 2010-11-04. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ Kukoč, Diana (August 24, 1999). "Kalafat Tonči Bakica: ja sam otac falkuše!". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Retrieved 2010-02-25.
- ]
- ^ a b c "Gajeta falkusa (Vis)". viaggioadriatico.it (in Italian). Centro Interuniversitario Internazionale di Studi sul Viaggio Adriatico. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Rota Palagruzona" (PDF) (in Croatian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
- ^ a b Robinson, John (October 2004). "Palagruža" (PDF). European Maritime Heritage Newsletter (17): 7–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ^ "Dječja falkuša »Molo« - naslijeđe za budućnost" (PDF). Vjesnik (in Croatian). August 4, 2008. Retrieved 2010-03-13.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Michieli, Igor (July 23, 2005). "Komiška gajeta s Murtera" (PDF). Vjesnik (in Croatian). Retrieved 2010-03-13.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Magazin Nutica" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
Further reading
- Marzari, Mario (1998). Navi di legno: evoluzione tecnica e sviluppo della cantieristica nel Mediterraneo dal XVI secolo a oggi (in Italian and English) (2nd ed.). ISBN 9788881900527.
External links
- Rota palagruzona 2010 Archived 2010-06-15 at the Wayback Machine,
- Regata do žala/Regatta to the beach, by Jakša Fiamengo (in English and Croatian)
- Sv. Nikola (in Croatian)
- Falkuša »Comez-Lisboa« i gajeta »Mociguzica« u Brestu[permanent dead link] (in Croatian)
- Priča o ljepoti gajete falkuše (in Croatian)
- Falkuša opet putuje u Brest (in Croatian)
- Forska gajeta „Mociguzica“ u Brestu (in Croatian)