The water is shallow (looks like only about four feet, with the barges themselves drawing three), the wind strong, and the course congested. See how a dozen or so of these steel-hulled, blunt-ended working craft maneuver and compete, reefed down, in tight quarters. Don’t miss seeing the sounding pole in use or the capsized barge with her crew gathered onits high side, awaiting help. Exciting stuff, recommended by OCH Guide Walt Ansel.
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Greg Stamatelakys says:
Question,
Are the leeboards manipulated very much? I don’t see the leeward one lowered very far.
Greg
Herman Traudes says:
Yes, these waters are shallow. They go out on larger (and deeper) water, the IJsselmeer, twice. Once at Lemmer, once at Stavoren. The other waters are results of centuries of harvesting peat, the fuel. These ships were also used to transport the peat to Amsterdam and other towns that needed lots of this fuel. Most keeled pleasure boats are built with this in mind. Their keels never go deeper than 4 feet (mine stuck 3’6″) and even then there are waterways where one has to stay in the center.
Steve Keating says:
Brilliant! How excellent it was to hear the man say that the competition stopped in order to rescue a capsized boat. That is the true spirit! The men and women were ruddy, hearty, and hale. Isn’t it amazing that our parents’ generation seemed to thrive in a culture without botox, self-absorption, and self-pity? There is a inspiring self-sufficiency reflected by these people of the water.
Joe Boudreau says:
Perhaps an ignorant question, but are they cleating or otherwise securing the jib and mainsheets? Some of the shots made it look like they were being held in place by hand, which I think would be very difficult to say the least!
Thomas Ietswaart says:
I once had the privilege of doing a few races on one of these boats. I was at the jib sheet, and remember hanging on to it for dear life, sitting in the gangway in sloshing water. Great fun, no cleating.
Sometimes the bottom blocks have a ‘heel’ on which the sheet can be belayed. For an image, see http://www.debinnenvaart.nl/binnenvaarttaal/afbeeldingen/onderdelen/onderdelen_zeilende_schepen/lopend_want.html (site in Dutch, but clear pictures).
Joe Boudreau says:
Fantastic! Thanks for the info!
Rich Morrow says:
Wow! Great stuff – no guts, no glory. Great to see working sailboats expertly handled and aggressively raced. Another healthy reminder that perhaps all that is new is not good and all that is good may not be new – when it comes to enjoyment on the water and performance under sail.
Thomas Ietswaart says:
These same barges are still raced each year. The boats are better tuned and even more overcanvassed than back in the sixties. Great spectacle.
Thomas Buzzi says:
A proud seafaring people. Great spectacle! That was some “white knuckle” tacking duel.