Never seen this. What is it?

[Cdreamin]

I found this image in a recent National Geographic magazine. There are 2 boats sailing in the original image.The caption states that the boats are in a competition that started from the harbor side of Blokzijl, The Netherlands.


Notice the series of lines running parallel to each other off of the starboard side into the water. The waves from the lines indicate that they are being pulled thru the water. I have never seen anything like this before and it has me curious.

I tried a quick Google search but found nothing.

Can someone please explain and possibly provide more images?


I imagine that maybe there is some sort of ballast fin ( lacking a better term) and it is used to reduce heel, but really have no idea.

[Sailmonkey]

Interesting, I’ve no real idea. Maybe they’re oyster dredgers?

[Cdreamin]

Never thought about some sort of harvest device but may be possible. The full image shows another sail vessel and the caption reads " A sailing competition of traditional cargo ships starts from the harborside village of Blokzijl the Netherlands". Which i assumed was some sort of race but competition could be about something else.


I will post the full image shortly.

[Cdreamin]

Here is the full image

[Kelkara]

To me they look like poles held in the hands of the crew ... not lines attached to the boat.



You said it was a race ... any chance they could be quanting to get a little speed advantage? there doesn't look to be much wind.

[deblen]

Leeboards perhaps


https://www.yachtingmonthly.com/news...ch-canals-1420




https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/tr...ling-boat.html



Len

[syPhilos]

It's the Mattenschippersrace

IIRC, the lines are used during "jagen" - when the crew pulls the boat.

Found this YT vid about it:

https://youtu.be/XxolzaK9F2Y

You can see "jagen" at 0:34 sec.

[Cdreamin]

AHHH. Thanks syPhilos for posting the video. Its always interesting to see how other cultures vary from our own.



After watching the video it appears as the image is of the poles that are being used to push the boat as they are doing at 40 seconds in.



Thanks everyone for your input.

[syPhilos]

TBH, I can't really tell from the pic if it's lines or poles - could be either ...
I should probably get my reading glasses ...

[fatherchronica]

I read an old book last year written in the late 1800's about a trip up the Volga in search of commercial opportunities. The Russian ships that plied the Volga from time immemorial used a system to go upriver where they anchored, then they hauled another anchor and rode upstream in a rowed boat where they dropped the anchor and then the ship was hauled upstream with a windlass powered by oxen. By the time the author was exploring for his book only the older ships used this method. The newer ships had replaced the oxen with a steam engine, but the anchor was still rowed upstream by men. And paddle wheelers were unknown, or at least not wanted.

[HopCar]

Originally Posted by syPhilos

It's the Mattenschippersrace

IIRC, the lines are used during "jagen" - when the crew pulls the boat.

Found this YT vid about it:

https://youtu.be/XxolzaK9F2Yy

You can see "jagen" at 0:34 sec.

Looks more like bomen at 42 seconds. I’d call that poling.
Anybody remember Mike Fink, King of the River?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wTavIPmTFYs

[taxwizz]

You are looking at the canvas mainsail.
Check the "iron jenny".
To paraphrase Don Trump...."Fake photo".

[joefults]

Sailing freighters were common in the Netherlands and many are still around. They use leeboards,have a very flat bottom and don’t draw much water. They are surprisingly fast. A friend of mine owns one and has a charter company. On her website you can learn about them. Langszijzeilcharters.nl

[joefults]

Here is a picture of one up close, if I did it correctly

[Maka]

Facinating