CROATIA – SPAIN JOINT ISSUE MEDITERRANEAN FISHING BOATS, Betina gajeta

Betina gajeta The Betina gajeta is a traditional wooden boat that has been an indispensable part of the life of the inhabitants of Betina and the island of Murter for centuries. Built as a multipurpose vessel, it was used to transport people, livestock, building materials, wood, farming tools, crops and other products between the neighboring islands, the Kornati archipelago and the mainland. Thanks to its wide and stable hull, it was able to safely transport large cargo. Today, it is recognized as one of the most valuable examples of Croatian traditional maritime heritage. Organized shipbuilding in Betina has been developing since the mid-18th century. Local shipbuilders have perfected the shape of the gajeta to suit the shallow sea, numerous coves and the needs of island life. Years of maritime tradition combined with shipbuilding knowledge had allowed for the development of a vessel that was durable, reliable and adapted to everyday work at sea. The boats were built without plans, based on the experience passed down from generation to generation. The shape of the boat was determined by the builder, using the šest, a special wooden template of the main rib in natural scale, based on which all the other ribs were derived using a measuring batten, while the rest of the hull line depended solely on the skill and "eye" of the builder himself. Different types of quality local wood were used for construction, selected according to the purpose of individual parts of the boat. The Betina gajeta is between 5 and 8 meters long, open inside in order to maximize the use of cargo space, while the bow and stern are closed for better protection when sailing. Traditionally, it was equipped with a lateen sail and oars. When there was no wind, the crew propelled the ship by rowing, often for several hours of travel. Sail management required extensive experience and good knowledge of wind and sea. With respect to its development stages, there is the older, more robust type of gajeta intended for the transport of heavy cargo and the newer, more elegant type suited for faster and easier sailing thanks to simplified maneuvering and adaptation to more modern navigation conditions. All boats of the Betina gajeta type have recently been built according to a specific procedure and rules characteristic of the Betina wooden shipbuilding. The construction process traditionally takes place through eleven strictly defined phases, from the client's requirements and careful selection of timber to final outfitting. The Betina gajeta has several specific features, and a typical one is soha, a thole with a characteristic "U"-shape. Each soha is movable and has its own slot or box. On the gajeta, there were four to five alternately distributed. Two wooden cleats, notched on the outside, are located on each side of the stern to tension and wrap the sail sheet. A typical element is also the skala on the bow of the ship, a special wooden step designed to facilitate the embarkation and disembarkation of people, tools and livestock on low and rocky shores. In the late 1950s, internal ship engines were installed in the gajeta boats en masse, which required minor hull modifications. At the same time, the development of road infrastructure and changes in lifestyle are gradually taking away the role of an work-only, labourer's boat. A special place in preserving this heritage is held by the regatta of traditional wooden ships "Za dušu i tilo" ["For the body and soul"], which annually brings together owners, shipbuilders and lovers of maritime heritage. Traditionally outfitted gajeta boats participate in the regatta, reviving the appearance and manner of sailing from past times under the sails. The event has become one of the most important festivals of traditional boats on the Croatian Adriatic and an important contribution to the preservation of the identity of Betina, the island of Murter and Croatian maritime heritage. Marinka Fržop President of the Association Betinska gajeta 1740