Danish sailing vessels with a gaff rig and one or two masts.

Started by AlessandroSPQR
24 replies 78 likes 0 followers Last activity: 10 minutes ago
#25 2
Alessandro,
I could see some similarities in construction to the Canadian schooners of the 1920's
Force nothing, waste nothing, leave nothing undone
#24 7
@RossM
Hi Ross, thanks for your appreciation. It's true, seeing them in person makes it even clearer that beneath the allure of these vessels lies a project aimed at tackling the constant and valuable work of coastal transport.

From some online registers, it appears that some date back to the 1950s, likely inspired by very ancient traditions. Some are likely restorations of even older boats.
Liked by hermank
#23 7
@DWBrinkman
Hi Dave, thanks for the comment. I'm glad you like it too.
Yes, very good! It's one of Copenhagen's canals, probably the most characteristic and picturesque. It's called Nyhavn and is famous for its colorful houses.
For us boat and ship enthusiasts, it's certainly a pleasure to stroll there.
I discovered that Copenhagen is called Copenhavn in Danish, where the Havn part means port.

Should I post some photos here or in a private message?
Liked by hermank
#21 17
@ColRay
Thanks so much, Col. I'm glad you like these types of vessels too. It's always helpful to see how certain details of sailing ships were made so you can reproduce them as faithfully as possible. It was really helpful for me to see some paintings from the period, and it would have been even better if I'd had some high-quality, detailed images.
Liked by hermank and jumpugly
#19 18
@ColRay
Hi Col, these are very nice boats and ships, which would make a great display model, but they would also be suitable for RC sailing. However, I already have a list of things to do, and I'm currently working on one that's still in the early stages of design.
Liked by hermank and ColRay
#15 22
Thank you for posting all those gorgeous pictures.
The boats are splendid, and the background is stunning as well.
What a great harbour/community! Where did you find this gem? I want to go there!!! Copenhagen??

Dave B
So far my collection resembles "The Island of Misfit Toys". I've picked up several boats that are old builds and have been neglected. I'm giving them the TLC they need, hoping to bring them back to their former glory. Once I get enough practice/ experience I intend to take on a full build.
Liked by hermank and ColRay and
#14 22
Thank you Alessandro! I can visualize how these vessels made a living. They weren't elegent or fast, but they did their job. Do you know any of the construction dates on any of the vessels?
Force nothing, waste nothing, leave nothing undone
Liked by hermank and AlessandroSPQR and
#11 25
A small, unnamed Jagt (the first two photos), followed by various other vessels of this type.

Note: many look alike, but they are not the same.
Liked by hermank and EdW and
#10 25
Two-masted boat with a gaff rig.

Note that the rudder is controlled by a tiller rather than a wheel.
Liked by hermank and EdW and
#8 25
****SENHAVN

I regret not noting down the full name, because now I’m very curious—is there a Dane among us?

Take a look at the lifeboat at the stern.
Liked by hermank and EdW and
#7 25
Fejbattingen?

It is very small for a two-masted vessel—a very distinctive boat.
It's a very short and compact vessel. The hull itself measures just 9.00 meters in length (it reaches 11 meters only if you include the bowsprit overhang at the bow) and is 3.10 meters wide. It has a very small tonnage of just 5 gross tons.
Despite its small size, it is officially registered as a gaff ketch or galease, depending on the subtle bureaucratic nuance of the local registers, precisely because of its two masts equipped with trapezoidal mainsails with wooden gaffs.
It was built entirely of wood in 1953 (some German tourist registers list 1954) by master shipwright Ejnar Mortensen in his historic shipyard on the island of Fejø (Fejø Bådværft).
It was born as a net fishing boat (Garn båd / Fiskefartøj) and is still powered, in addition to the sails, by a small historic Swedish Saab Diesel 30 horsepower auxiliary engine.
Liked by hermank and SimpleSailor and
#6 27
Here is another beautiful "Dansk Jagt" of unidentified specific make (I forgot to photograph the name), but distinguished by the design of a black cetacean.
Liked by hermank and SimpleSailor and
#4 28
ROTA

It is very similar to the previous one, probably a Scandinavian "Galeas."

A Galeas (or Galease) is a historic wooden work vessel, typical of the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe between the 18th and 20th centuries. It is characterized by a broad, sturdy, and pot-bellied hull, designed to carry heavy loads, and a two-masted rig with gaff (quadrangular) sails, with the foremast higher than the aftmast. Originally used as a "sea truck" for coastal trade and fishing, it survives today thanks to historic restoration projects.
Liked by hermank and SimpleSailor and
#3 28
ANNE SHIPCO

A two-masted vessel with a gaff rig, perhaps of the type known as a "Galeas." In this case, the mizzen mast is smaller, reminiscent of a ketch.

Note that, despite the similarity in name, the Scandinavian galeas has nothing to do with the Italian and Mediterranean galley.
Liked by hermank and SimpleSailor and
#2 29
ANNA BØGESKOV
A single-masted vessel, a working cutter perhaps called a jagt.

Developed between the 18th and 19th centuries, jagts were the primary means of transport in Denmark. They were used to transport goods and food (especially fruit, so much so that they were affectionately nicknamed "apple boats") between the many small Danish islands.
They have a single mast and use a cutter or gaff-rigged mainsail (gaffelrigget in Danish), recognizable by the typical square sail supported by a slanted wooden gaff.
They are built entirely of sturdy wood. They have a rather wide shape and a rounded stern, specifically designed for stability and to carry heavy loads in the North Sea.
They were often built with a fairly flat bottom to navigate the shallow waters typical of the Danish coasts and fjords.
Today, the few remaining original vessels are considered true floating historical monuments, preserved by enthusiasts or restored for short cruises and traditional events.

This time, I've captured the boat's name, so we know it's called ANNA BØGESKOV.
Liked by hermank and SimpleSailor and
#1 35

Danish sailing vessels with a gaff rig and one or two masts.

Good evening everyone, these are images of Danish sailboats.

I think they're very interesting because they feature characteristic gaff-rigged elements.

I hope they'll be useful to someone, now or in the future.
There's a lot of visual information for anyone wanting to create scale naval models of this kind from scratch. I wish I'd taken them years ago; they would have been very valuable.

You'll notice the details: dead-eye; wooden grating; Admiralty anchor; deck skylight; sail hoops, etc.

Rather than show them all together, I've grouped them together, trying to group them by individual sailing vessel.
Even if they're not immediately useful, I think they're beautiful and worth admiring.
Liked by SimpleSailor and jumpugly and

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