Description

In the sea of Marmara, in region also known as Propontida, the fishing boats were mainly rowing boats which were elongated , so as to be able to travel quite fast. The most common type of such ships was called “Alamana” or “Santala” or “Samtala”. These boats were used for fishing of bonito, chub mackerel, sprat etc.

“Santala” was the best known type of boat in the Sea of Marmara. The origin of its name comes from the Byzantine word “sandal” (kind of shoes). It had curved stern post and bow post and was used both as a commercial and auxiliary ship in warfare. This type of ship had 10 to 14 oars and their crew consisted of 18-20 men.

Santala was up to 17.4 meters in length and up to 2.80 meters in breadth. It had also as many seat as the pairs of oars and decks at the stern and the fore, in order to be serviceable about the fishermen, while the interior space under the deck was used as a storage for the nets and other fishing gear.

The fore and the stern were both decorated with painted or wood-carved designs, while on the fore post and above of the height of the handrail, Saint George was depicted.

Dimensions: Length: 174 cm, Width: 28cm