04 Apr

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Raz de Sein

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Raz de Sein and the three lighthouses

courtesy
Amoureux de la Bretagne


courtesy John Ushant


courtesy Jean Guichard via Pulgatorio de Tevennec

Ar-men Lighthouse

Courtesy Purgatario de Tevennec

Caprice FLOTS
In 2601
AD 184855
troller built in 1966 in Douarnenez
Site Jean Marie Tanguy
Skippper: Paul Milliner – Ile de Sein
main features;length:6.87 m Width: m GRT: 5.41 tx engine: 41 hp MWM
Incorporated by Eric Losq Plogoff, it was then registered in district of Douarnenez. He is now finishing his life quietly in the cemetery of boats Locquéran
in the port of Breast with Vagabond Islands (photo G) and with Hope in God (photo D)
the bar in the Raz

courtesy Audiernnes les Dundees



cyclone: CYCLONE
In 2666
Ad 279097
potters / long liner / shell built in 1970 to Freight
Construction Stipon
Skipper: Follic François (François Cyclone) – Ile de Sein
main features; length: 9 mwidth: 3.58 m GRT: 7.97 tx engine: 90 hp Baudouin
During a campaign Jacques scallops in the harbor of Brest, “Cyclone” hook a former anchor in the middle of the pool shell and sink. It will then be salvaged and sold to La Rochelle.
Follic Francois (Francois said cyclone, named after his old boat) has long been the patron of the “City of Paris” SNSM the canoe from the island of Sein
the bar in the “Trouziard” also said the Torpedo channel (Raz de Sein in the Old)
A Breast is not only a tradition to name the boat to his boss, it’s almost a necessity as many surnames are identical (Spinec, Guilcher, Follic, Milliner, Fouquet …). Jos Fouquet told me that at one point there were 17 Joseph Fouquet on the island …
After the accident in the harbor of Brest, “Cyclone” will turn to the districts of Saint Brieuc and then Sables d ‘Olonne under the name “Candy” and then to La Rochelle in 2005 still under the same namPhoto taken shortly after the accident at the port entrance channel. The boat was towed to the level of ASM to clear the password input port where it presented a danger

courtesy Audiernnes les Dundees



Cyclone fishing in the Raz. Note the birds. This is how the fishermen hand or longlining for sea bass know where to go.

courtesy Audiernnes les Dundees


Tevennec lighthouse is located at the tip of Raz in Brittany. The transition from the tip of the island Raz de Sein, presents enormous difficulties and dangers, in part to the destructive force of the water.
Crossing these waters at night is suicide .

Courtesy Purgatario de Tevennec

The French Raz de Sein translates literally in English as ‘storm within’. How apt. It’s a treacherous, infamous stretch of water at the confluence of at least two opposing currents off the coast of Brittany that can be a nightmare for mariners. It’s also been and is a favorite for adventurous and hardy fishermen attracted to the bountiful sea life there. Sea bass is the draw, apparently sustainably harvested, at least recently. The contemporary practice of fishing in this fabled area is written about in Maritme Life # 34, a sadly defunct publication which was a joint effort between WoodenBoat and Chasse Maree.
here’s what Wikipedia has to say about the Raz de Sein:

“The Raz de Sein is a stretch of water located between the Isle of Sein and the Pointe du Raz, in Finistère, in the Brittany region of France.

This tidal water is an essential passage for vessels wishing to pass between the Atlantic and the English Channel because further west, at high tide, the Isle of Sein and its embankment stretch for more than thirty miles.

This is a very dangerous zone for navigation, due to the violent sea currents from the tides (up to six knots during the spring tides). The current causes the sea to rise quickly, and it is recommended that heavy vessels should only attempt to cross this strait at still water during calmer conditions.

The Raz de Sein is bounded by the La Vieille and Petite Vieille lighthouses, and by the shoreline of the île de Sein.

Maritime disasters:

On May 26, 2006, Édouard Michelin died while fishing for sea bass on his ship Liberté. The skipper of the boat, Guillaume Normant, also lost his life in the accident. The boat was found two days later with no apparent damage, roughly 15 km from the Île de Sein.”

And Yachting Monthly had this as an introduction to the video below:

“Off the NW tip of Brittany lies the Raz de Sein. Few other stretches of water have such a fearsome reputation: the tide can rip through at 6 knots at Springs, and when an Atlantic storm hits, the result is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Pity the lighthouse keepers of old. The Ar-Men lighthouse, the most westerly of those marking the shoals around the Île de Sein, was nicknamed the ‘Hell of Hells’ by its former keepers. Closer inshore, the square tower of La Vieille lighthouse was the second last in France to be automated, due to the protests of the live-in keepers. It took until 1995 for the light to be automated and the keepers to depart.”



kayak extrem dans le raz de sein by wavestar

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22 Mar

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Whaleboat Models

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Beetle Whaleboat

Photo 1—Port side view: This was a Beetle whaleboat, so-called as they were built by Charles Beetle, a whaleboat builder from New Bedford, Massachusetts; in fact, the name “Beetle” was burned into two places on the completed boats. This model was built to a scale where 1/2-inch represents one foot and was the subject of a two-part series of articles published in Seaways Journal of Maritime History. The model was based on the last boat Beetle built. On completion, it was shipped to the Mariners’ Museum where it can still be seen today.

Photo 2—Midships and a look at the gear: The gear aboard a whaleboat was highly specialized and included not just harpoons used to fasten to a whale and the lances that were used to kill the creature, but also the line tubs. In this case the tubs were built with individual staves, as were the baling scoop and the fresh water keg. The harpoons and lance tips, the boat knife and hatchet head were made from nickel silver, oxidized to a soft patina representing age, and the edges were then polished to simulate having been recently sharpened.

Photo 3—Interior detail: Whaleboats were ceiled inside, meaning that they were planked inside and outside the frames. This model is also an example of a painted model as opposed to being polished Boxwood. At the right-hand end of the last photo of the interior of the boat the compass can be seen, required for situations where a boat lost sight of its parent ship. The compass in this model boat was gimbaled as were the real ones. There are paddles in the bottom of the boat used when quietly approaching a whale on the surface. All of the equipment has been aged to represent usage.

While this model was built to be displayed on a regular base and mounted on posts, Roger decided to see what it would look like set up on a simulated beach. This was done in his basement, on a piece of cardboard with a layer of sand scattered on it and two different coloured backdrops.

The model is fourteen inches long.

photos and text courtesy
The Internet Craftsmanship Museum




From 1720 to 1920 nearly 60,000 whaleboats were consumed by the American whaling industry. With a useful life of no more than three years, whaleboats were discarded on the spot throughout the coastal U.S. and around the world. Remarkably, only a dozen or two have survived to become part of today’s museum collections.

In 1916, the Dartmouth Historical Society commissioned the building of a half sized model of the bark LAGODA. Local whaleboat builder Joshua Delano was retained to build the seven half-sized model whaleboats needed for the project. Delano built these models according to the design of the full-sized boats he had built for the whaling industry for more than forty years.

Whaling historian Erik A.R. Ronnberg, Jr. made a thorough study of Delano’s half-sized boats in order to produce this kit of a uniquely American working craft.

photos and text courtesy Historic Ships


Whalers had no equal in handling an open boat at sea. At a time when whales were still plentiful as well as fair game, they were hunted in relatively small open rowboats. They approached a whale closely so as not to miss with a toothpick-like harpoon. At least when comparing it with the bulk of a seventy foot long leviathan sperm whale. And the Kings of the Sea didn’t take kindly to being hunted, giving rise to the shanty of the harpooner: A Dead Whale or a Stove Boat.The whaleboat rode the waves like an albatross. For lightness, grace and speed it simply had no peer. The buckets held up to a mile of line. The harpooner would stand on the stern holding his harpoon. A successful throw might mean a long chase, the whale taking the boat in tow. The harpoon line would be belayed on a single pollard on the deck. The double ends made it easy to move in two directions, a slap of the tail of an angry whale had better be avoided. Our hand built whaleboat is built lapstrake planks-on-frame.
Whaling tools in amazing detail.

photos and text courtesy Mallcarts


“Thar she blows!” The hard men of the sea take to their boats in pursuit of the gentle giants of the ocean.

photos and text courtesy The Miniatures Page


Nautical dioramas, This whale boat is completely outfitted with whaling tools of exceptional detail, including harpoons, hooks, daggers, flensing knives, gaffs, etc. The hull is crafted of individual ivory “planks”. This is a six-man, single mast whaleboat. It would have been one of four carried on a whaling ship. Its crew would have included a coxswain, four rowers, and a harpooner up front. The model has been mounted in a fine mahogany and brass case. Boat measures 10 and one quarter inches long by 2 and three quarters inches wide by 2 and one quarter inches high. Case / Mount: 13 and one half inches long by 6 and one half inches wide by 5 and three quarter inches high.

photos and text courtesy One Of A Kind Antiques

While we’re waiting for the whaleboat builds to begin I thought it might be nice to look at some whaleboats. I didn’t find a lot to show on the internet, but I did find lots of material relating to models of whaleboats, apparently in far greater abundance than the real thing. Not surprising given that your average whaleboat had a life expectancy of about three years. Lightly built and put to hard use, the boats were soon discarded and replaced. Which no doubt kept their builders happy. Wendy Byar actually spurred me into action when she put a post on FB of a model. I had been looking at them, but then it clicked.
N Roger Cole built the model at the top of the post. He’s a meticulous craftsman based in the UK and does his research. I believe his model is built to the same plans that our boats will be. There’s an extensive bio on him here. For the other models I have supplied what information was available. Hope this will serve as an appetizer prior to getting to the main course.

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14 Mar

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Douarnenez, 1912. Photos of Charles L’Hermitage

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Douarnenez Harbor c. 1912

bateaux dans le port à marée basse

voilier dans le port

bord de mer avec voilier

bateaux dans le port

vue du port

vue du port

vue du port

Caulking seams, other repairs

calfats bretons réparant une coque de bateau

calfats bretons réparant la coque d’un bateau

calfat breton sur la plage

calfats bretons réparant la coque d’un bateau

calfats bretons réparant la coque d’un bateau

calfats bretons nettoyant la coque d’un bateau

calfat breton nettoyant la coque d’un bateau

calfats bretons nettoyant la coque d’un bateau

calfats bretons nettoyant la coque d’un bateau

calfats bretons nettoyant la coque d’un bateau

calfat breton brûlant du goudron

calfat breton réparant un bateau

calfats bretons réparant la coque d’un bateau

calfat breton réparant un bateau

calfat breton nettoyant une voile

calfats bretons

calfats bretons réparant un bateau

calfat breton immatriculant un bateau

calfats bretons brûlant du goudron

calfat breton réparant la coque d’un bateau

calfat breton réparant la coque d’un bateau

calfats bretons réparant un bateau

calfat breton nettoyant la coque d’une barque

calfat breton nettoyant la coque d’une barque


Bretagnie


Paysage de Bretagne

Douarnenez : breton dans son intérieur

Auteur :
Lhermitte Charles Augustin (1881-1945)
all photos

 

(C) Droits réservés
Crédit photographique :
(C) RMN (Musée d’Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski
Période :
20e siècle
Date :
1912
Localisation :
Paris, musée d’Orsay

Charles Augustin Lhermitte, French, (1881-1945) was the son of the realist painter Lèon Lhermitte (1844-1925) and worked in photography for about twenty years, stopping in the 1920s.

Although a member of the pictorialist movement, he remained somewhat of a novice to the technique, and was probably influenced more by naturalism, which he inherited from his father, than by symbolism and impressionism. His work is generally characterized by a clear definition rather than the soft focus. (courtesy Wikipedia)

I found this archive and several others via a facebook friend, Pierre-Yves Decosse. Pierre seems to share my love of maritime history and particularly the smaller inshore craft of the local fisherman. The portion of the L’Hermitte archive presented here is minuscule, the archive runs to 500 images.

Douarnenez is still an active fishing port and host to a traditional maritime festival every other
year.

Thanks to the folks at RMN

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