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The dorna

Ribeira, Barbanza, A Coruña

1 Villages · 4 Monuments · 8 Nature · 4 Activities · 5 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

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The dorna

Curiosity · Ribeira, Barbanza, A Coruña

A traditional boat of the Rías Bajas, small, with overlapping planks and a lateen sail, used for inshore fishing and shellfish gathering; since 1952 dornas have been raffled off and given to sailors of limited means. It measures about 4.5 metres in length and 1.5 metres in beam, with a rounded bow projecting beyond the deck, a flat stern and a pronounced keel; it is built clinker-style, with wooden planks overlapping one another to reduce leaks. It carries a single sail and two auxiliary oars for when the wind is lacking, and is crewed by a skipper, at the tiller, and a sailor in charge of hoisting the sail. Various studies point to a Viking origin, introduced into the rías as a smaller-scale copy of the drakkar during the raids that sought Santiago de Compostela.

Photo: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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