Croatia prides itself on tradition – local customs, practices, activities, crafts passed down for generations. With such an impressive stretch of the coast, it makes perfect sense for one of the longest running traditional occupations to be shipbuilding.
From the golden Croatian shipyards operating in multiple cities, down to the skilled masters in small vilages who are making traditional wooden vessels by hand, building boats has been one of the foundations of local economy on the Adriatic coast for thousands of years. From prehistoric times to this day, people at sea have been living and breathing together with their boats, their livelihood depending on fishing, commerce, or any other sea-related activity.
Because we love stories about people who pass their knowledge on, we were delighted to hear about the Little Boatbuilding School that’s taking place on Lokrum island near Dubrovnik. The weekend workshop for kids will be held on July 29 and 30, and will provide the young participants with some basic skills and techniques. The workshop is led by Igor Hajdarhodžić and Mladen Mitić, free of charge, and anyone who’s interested still has time to apply.
On Saturday, July 29, ‘Sv. Ivan’ ship made in 1878 will sail out from Gruž in the morning and take the participants to Lokrum. The aspiring boatbuilders will work on restoring a speedboat that was featured in a James Bond movie, then go on to learn how to build a boat by assembling parts prepared in advance. Of course, no trip to Lokrum – even an educational one – cannot pass without some spare time to enjoy the incredible scenery on the island, so the kids will get a short break to visit the beach before they head back home. The second day has a similar schedule planned, but will be crowned by launching the little boats the kids made over the weekend.
All participants will get a chance to try out the recently restored gondula Đive, a wooden beauty you can see in the video below that was filmed during a similar workshop held last year. (On another note, would you listen to those crickets! A perfect summer soundtrack!)
We applaud the initiative and the enthusiasm of the two mentors who provide children with opportunities to learn something new and of value, and we’re hoping for many more boatbuilding workshops to follow!
Source and photo credit: Slobodna Dalmacija
