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Kit includes a very detailed instruction manual on english with all the building techniques and more than 60 pictures and drawings! (pls. see photos)
2 giant sheets of construction plans contain actual size drawings
Includes all necessary parts to build the model, please feel free to check the photos!
The traditional Izmir boats, or known by their former name as "Smyrna Barquettes", were boats that transported cargo and passengers between ships anchored offshore and piers in the Izmir Gulf, in the 1800s.
These caiques also connected nearby coastal towns like Karaburun, Çeşme, Foça, and the nearby Aegean islands to Izmir via sea routes. In other words, these boats served as the modern-day trucks and buses back then.
A Smyrna Barquette typically had a helmsman and one or two rowers. In some cases, there could be three rowers. With its 12-square-meter sail and slender, elongated structure, they could reach very distant destinations in a short time.
These boats were long and narrow vessels. They had a lightweight oak keel and were covered with hardwood planking, often made of beech wood. The interiors of the boats were typically unpainted but varnished. The bow and stern deck heads were closed and were also serving as storage compartments.
These barquettes were adorned with colorful floral motifs over their green and white color schemes. These floral designs may have symbolized the boatmen's longing for the land.
Sails were only unfurled in good weather or when the wind was not too strong. These boats didn’t have any wight, so steering with the sail required a certain skill.
Smyrna Barquettes were used to carry items like baskets, crates, barrels, and chests. Passengers would sit on the benches on both sides of the stern. Sometimes people even sat on top of the cargo. It was customary for the barquettes traveling long distances to carry a water jug and a mug for drinking water.
During the summer evenings, when the heat became unbearable, the people of Smyrna would use these barquettes to cool off in between the sparkles of the Gulf.
Unfortunately, these elegant boats have not made it to the present day.
Shipping & Handling
· All orders will be shipped within 3 business days upon payment completed.
· We ship worldwide via Expedited Air Mail and provide with tracking number.
· Your item would arrive in about 3-5 working days worldwide!
· Packing is done with high precaution and care!
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