The centenary bou’s boat ‘Rafael’ has been transferred to Mallorca

The Environment Council, Pedro Bestard, has traveled to Palamós to subscribe the agreement that will allow its relocation to Mallorca.

Mallorca’s Council and the current owner of the barca de bou Rafael have signed a collaboration agreement that establishes the free temporary use of the vessel until the purchase process by the island institution is completed.

The second vice president and Environment, Rural Environment and Sports councillor Pedro Bestard, has traveled to Palamós, where the boat is currently moored, to, aboard of the same ship, sign the agreement with the owner, Jan Santolaria Curel.

The second vice president, the Environment, Rural Environment and Sports councillor Pedro Bestard, and the owner, Jan Santolaria Curel, have signed the agreement aboard the “Rafael”, in Palamós’s port, where the boat is currently moored.

It is expected that in the agreement that the “Rafael” is relocated to the mestres d’aixa’s workshop, that the Maritime Patrimony Unity manages, with the aim of preparing its future restoration.

Environment’s Councilor has shown his satisfaction for “having given this step that will allow Mallorca to ensure the conservation of the important cultural and patrimonial value boat, which is a part of the Mallorcan seamanship.”

Even though this traditional fishing boat with more than 110 years of history has good sailing conditions, the Environment Department expects fulfilling a restoration plan of the boat in a llaüt style, which consists of a complete and a detailed revision of the conservation’s state and the renovation of the damaged elements. This will be a rigorous intervention, according to what the patrimony law marks for those elements that enjoy the most protection.

During the stay at the workshop, the “Rafael” will be visited by the public, specially the academic one, who will be able to learn first-hand the patrimonial and cultural importance of this ship.

In the future, once the purchase is done and the ship is conditioned, it will carry out promotion activities and environmental and maritime diffusion of the patrimony, the same way that it’s being currently done with another active ship of Mallorca’s Council, the “Balear”.

We must go back to the year 1915, when Jaume Picornell Barceló and the brothers Rafael and Bartomeu Font Bosch commissioned the Llompart shipyards in Palma to build two llaüts for pair trawling. This is how Rafael and Bartolomé were born, following the shipbuilding tradition of Mallorca’s mestre d’aixa (master boatbuilders).

Pair trawling required two vessels with similar characteristics, powered by sail, which demanded great coordination between the two crews when performing maneuvers. Each llaüt towed one end of the large art de bou trawl net. According to the last skipper, the cost of the two boats, including the mast and spars, amounted to 10,000 pesetas at the time.

Unlike its partner, Bartolomé, which was used for fishing by different owners, Rafael always belonged to the family of Joan Font Picornell, the last skipper, until his retirement, at which point the boat was transferred to the recreational registry. This allowed Rafael to avoid being scrapped and it remains seaworthy to this day.

“Rafael” is a first-generation barca de bou. It was built to fish under sail, using only wind power for propulsion. Measuring 12.90 meters in length, 4.40 meters in beam, and 1.33 meters in depth, it was constructed with oak and olive wood for the frames and sheathed in pine. It originally displaced 14.99 gross registered tons (GRT) and carried a single mast rigged with a large lateen sail. It has a capacity for 25 passengers.