Reviving the LEGENDARY Tagus Boats!

For many centuries these boats sailed the Tagus Rivers until the begining of the 20th century when they disappeared from our waters...Or did they?
A number of city councils around the Tagus Estuary decided to bring some of these legendary boats back to life, so using local knowledge from our Shipyard Masters and their crew's they managed to accomplish these tremendous projects using traditional methods to build such vessels.
The Varino a 38 tonnes flat bottom cargo boat
The Bote a 22 Tonnes keeled boat
The Muleta a 18 Tonnes fishing boat
They are works of art nowadays, a lot different from when they were used to make a living. You can get aboard any of them and go for a sail in the waters of the Tagus.
These are amazing boats even today so imagine them on their own era and the importance they had to the development of all river side towns and villages.
Muleta launch full video: / photos.gutadecarvalho
Muleta TN Photo : / photos.gutadecarvalho
Muleta Photo: Zelia Paulo Silva: / zelia.silva
Bote construction full video: Jose tocha • O Bote Leão
Minor With Cricket by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommon...
Artist: audionautix.com/

[@frankjoziasse7914]

Thank you for sharing Teo, beautiful boats, beautiful people! Glad to see that local communities support the preservation of their maritime heritage.

[@TheBoatRambler]

Our pleasure!

[@verdikulk6193]

I like the lines of the first boat

[@TheBoatRambler]

The Varino was a flat bottom boat which could carry up to 40 tones of cargo (full displacement of 75 tones) . Very efficient going up and down the river in the shallows but not the best when sailing across the tide. It was probably one of the most important boats of its era.

[@PaulM-ls6qj]

Again 10 minutes of big smiles for me. These beautifull pieces of art, together with people who enjoy life. Think I repeat myself but it doesn’t get better then this. Keep them coming Teo! Thx. Paul

[@TheBoatRambler]

Glad you enjoyed it Paul! 😁

[@johnryan2193]

Powerful boat.

[@Seafariireland]

Beautiful and very interesting boats!

[@raytheron]

How wonderful that some of these old boats, and those made to their design later, are still around! Thank you so much for sharing this, Teo. I miss the feasts and celebrations I experienced on São Miguel in the Azores when I lived there. Força, barcos antigos, e bons ventos todos os dias!

[@TheBoatRambler]

Abraços Ray!

[@hwood9783]

Very well maintained craft and all looks good fun.

[@albertovilletalopez5718]

Hermosos barcos, gacias por compartir.

[@bloodyfluffybunny7411]

the gorgeous boats those hudge timbers the atmosphere of festivity's you captured it all what a great video totally loved it

[@TheBoatRambler]

Many thanks!

[@bloodyfluffybunny7411]

@@TheBoatRambler credits given where credits are due

[@VadiodaXT]

Simplesmente LINDO 😍 obrigada pela partilha BONS VENTOS

[@TheBoatRambler]

Obrigado amigo

[@davidprocter3578]

Teo I really appreciate these videos you produce on the traditional boats of your area. Are there any bigger or smaller boat designs from your neck of the woods that you could bring to our attention, working boats, older style leisure craft, ferry boats. I remember a film made many years ago that covered the then almost lost tradition of teams of men going up into the mountains cutting trees to produce barrels and a ship which come the end of the season they ran down the river to the coast to sell. I have to say it looked a wonderful way of life a real rural idle.

[@TheBoatRambler]

Hi David! There were quite a few different boats sailing the Tagus but the most important were two cargo boat hull types. One hull type/shape was used for Fragata>Bote>Falua>Canoa>Catraio, the Catraios (4 to 6.9m) and the the Fragatas 20-30m) And then the Flat bottom boats, the Varinos, which can range from 15 to 30m. These were undoubtedly the boats which dominated these waters. When in 1951 a bridge was built not far from Lisbon the boats started to be less needed and less profitable. Finally in the 60s with new power ferryboats and another new bridge straight into Lisbon most sailing boats were literally abandoned and died on the banks of the river. It costs nearly 1 million to build one of these big boats and maintaining them isn't easy either. That's why we can find quite a few of the smaller ones, up to 12m, privately owned but the few big ones which still sail are property of city councils.

[@bendaves77]

Cool video.. I can never remember what country you live in but why do they paint these boats like they're painted?? Europe also has alot of old sailing cargo ships that people have turned into live aboard sailing ships etc

[@TheBoatRambler]

Hi Ben, I'm in Portugal. These boats used to be painted with specific colors for each town, also depending on the route, class and shipyard. Nowadays is more a question of personal preference.

[@BensWorkshop]

Nice showing of the boats! What is the translation of the festival name?

[@TheBoatRambler]

Hi Ben, I really don't know how to translate this but from Google it comes out something like: Festivities in honor of our lady(saint) of the good journey. It's a festival in honor of the saint protector of our town, Moita, protector of all travellers, sailors and fisherman alike.

[@BensWorkshop]

@@TheBoatRambler Good festival to celebrate!

[@MinSredMash]

Where are the gaff spars hiding in those old photos? Triced up against the mast? Scandalized with the peak halyards slack?

[@TheBoatRambler]

Since they have no booms all gaff rigged boats around here have brailing lines to bring the gaff and the sail close to the mast. that's how they are kept, even today. No sail covers on these boats! 😉