Rabelo boat

Rabelo boat

The Rabelo boat is a Portuguese boat, typical of the Douro River that traditionally carried the barrels of the Alto Douro Port wine, where the vineyards are located, to Vila Nova de Gaia (Porto who gave him the name) where the wine was stored and subsequently marketed.
Being a mountain river boat, the Rabelo has no keel and is flat-bottomed, with a length between 19 and 23 meters. The construction of superposed planks, cracked board, Nordic is compared with the Mediterranean.
With a square sail, the Rabelo was usually handled by six or seven men. As for masts, the first one only used, while the latter used a mast also the bow. For government, uses a long oar at the stern - the espadela. When necessary, the boats were pulled from tow paths by men or oxen.
The Rabelo boat now has its well-defined identity, from 1792, when the General Company of Agriculture of the Upper Douro Vineyards, published the permits and more documents that related to the remarkable Pombal institution. In this publication, commonly known as "Company Laws", are valuable information regarding both the boat as its crew, but also traffic that is destined.
With the completion in 1887 of the railway, iron Douro line and the development of road communications during the twentieth century, the river traffic provided by Rabelo boats declined. In 1961, at the beginning of hydroelectric national Douro program, only six remained Rabelo boats in permanent activity.
Now, with a different activity, Rabelo are used in the famous race of Saint John to when the popular festivals of the city of Porto, cruises on the Douro River (some organized by the tourist company Douro Azul) and other initiatives to recall their glory days .
The Rabelo boats can still be found in Porto. Yet they are today, unlike other times, used to transport tourists to playful and recreational character, being very used to cross the river from Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia, where tourists can visit some wine cellars of Porto .