Azorean Whaleboat
After having been generously awarded a grant from the Fund for Folk Culture, our Berkeley Boathouse shop director was able to work for two months alongside one of the last whaleboat builders in the Azores Islands. Helder worked with Azorean master boatbuilder Joao Tavares, who has recently been commissioned by the Portuguese Government and E.E.A. Grants to build a series of traditional whaleboats for various villages in the Azores Islands. The construction of Joao's first whaleboat has been immortalized in the book by Lance Lee and Bruce Halabisky, Twice Round the Loggerhead.
Having just recently returned from this amazing, and tiring, trip; Helder is happy to share memories, stories, and images of his native islands and the construction of the whaleboat alongside one of the Island's last masterbuilders.
Whaleboat Regata in the village of Santa Cruz, Pico...home of Joao Tavares and Helder's home for the past two months.
A view of Santa Cruz das Ribeiras from the hills. Population: about 300, population of the Island of Pico: about 15,000
Regatta in the town of Lajes, close to Santa Cruz. This regatta being one of the biggest on the Island of Pico. The whaleboats pictured here are from various villages throughout the Island of Pico, but also some from the islands of Faial, Graciosa, and Sao Jorge.
Beautiful shot from Pico looking northwest toward the island of Faial. The islands in this "central group" (Pico, Faial, Sao Jorge, Graciosa) are relatively close to one-another. These islands have close ties to each other that are most obvious during regatta season.
Helder hanging the first plank on the whaleboat; Joao to the left...wipping off bedding compound from his hands. By their dress it was obviously another hot and humid day in a village known for its numerous banana orchards.