Tjotter Ship

Posted by Illuci (Hurdegaryp, Netherlands) on 20 July 2008 in Sport & Recreation.

YESS!!, this is my 500th picture on AM3! Thank you AM3 for all the pleasure and beauty I have enjoyed, next to all warm and friendly long-distance contacts, I've learned a lot, not only about photography.
Thank you also Janine, my esteemed wife, for all the patience you got waiting till I had inerest for you again :).

The ship you see is a so-called tjotter, like all Friesian traditional sailing ships suited for shallow waters. Instead of a keel it has two egg-shaped planks on each side: the "swords". The sword on the lee-side (off the wind, on the side where the sail is standing out) is let down under water as kind of keel to keep the boat steerable, the other one is kept above the water. Each time the boat has to go "through the wind" so that the wind comes from the other side of the boat, the swords have to be let down and pulled up also. Not very suited for one man to sail a boat like this, you need at least two.
This particular model is designed for pleasure trips, also in old times for important people such as doctors, mayors, rich farmers etc. Nowadays more people can afford such a "yacht".

The reeds you see are very costly, in due time it's harvested and exported for roof-covering of villas etc. abroad. In our own country we use imported cheaper reeds for that purpose, unless you want to pay (far) more.

My other photo-site: click here for Flickr
My blog Today's Questions