Caïque
Encyclopedia
A caïque is the term for a traditional fishing boat usually found among the waters of the Ionian
or Aegean
Seas, and also a light skiff used on the Bosporus
. It is traditionally a small wooden trading vessel, brightly painted and rigged for sail. The caïque is also a typical case of positioning the beam far aft, with a long sharp bow.
, from pine
wood.
The hull of the craft is built with sawn ribs and a timber keel, stem, etc. covered with caravel planking, terminated with the deck
. The frame of the craft is often painted with orange primer, to preserve and seal the timber. The caïque usually has a short mast
.
A bowsprit
is stayed by rigging
. In the stern
of the caïque the predominant form is the tiller
. These wooden steering arms are sometimes carved in the face of a dog or animal. The caïque often has a horizontal
windlass
mounted over the bow. The bow
is also known in Greek as the proura or plowri, similar to the English
prow
.
Most caïques are painted white, to counter the powerful sun, with the strakes and topsides
in vivid chromatic colors. The name of the boat is painted or carved on a tablet, on the planking below the bow.
Each caïque is unique. The majority are built from the boatbuilder's craft and memory having no plans. The bow
post distinguishes the caïque from other Mediterranean working boats.
(Kerkyra) and Mykonos
.
The art of the boatbuilder is dying as plastic
and fiberglass
craft supersede the wooden craft.
.
Historically, a caïque was a boat of 5-6 meters in length, and 1 meter in width, used mainly for transportation. It had a shape similar to that of a skate. Both ends of it were in such a form that it could be rowed in either direction with equal ease. The sides consisted of two long embellished boards. There were also lateral boards supporting the sides against water pressure.
There were also imperial caïques used by the Ottoman
sultans and his suite for ceremonial and daily excursion purposes. The size and grandeur of this type, adorned with imperial armorials and floral scrolls, was a reflection of his royal power. Another feature of imperial caiques was the deck pavilion, a partition or a small kiosk for the Sultan
. By reason of this feature they were also called the pavilion caïques.
Today, ordinary caïques are used mainly for local fishing purposes, and the current imperial caïques are modern reconstructions utilized for touristic purposes only.
caïque, from the Italian
caicco, from the Turkish
kayık (the source of the word loaned into the Greek
kaiki
and ultimately the English word as well), from the Ottoman Turkish
qayïq or qayïk), related to the Persian
qayeq but ultimately from the Old Turkic qayghug and qayghuq.
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
or Aegean
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
Seas, and also a light skiff used on the Bosporus
Bosporus
The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
. It is traditionally a small wooden trading vessel, brightly painted and rigged for sail. The caïque is also a typical case of positioning the beam far aft, with a long sharp bow.
Construction
Caïques were built on the foreshore in a shipyardShipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
, from pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
wood.
The hull of the craft is built with sawn ribs and a timber keel, stem, etc. covered with caravel planking, terminated with the deck
Deck (ship)
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
. The frame of the craft is often painted with orange primer, to preserve and seal the timber. The caïque usually has a short mast
Mast (sailing)
The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship...
.
A bowsprit
Bowsprit
The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a pole extending forward from the vessel's prow. It provides an anchor point for the forestay, allowing the fore-mast to be stepped farther forward on the hull.-Origin:...
is stayed by rigging
Rigging
Rigging is the apparatus through which the force of the wind is used to propel sailboats and sailing ships forward. This includes masts, yards, sails, and cordage.-Terms and classifications:...
. In the stern
Stern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
of the caïque the predominant form is the tiller
Tiller
A tiller or till is a lever attached to a rudder post or rudder stock of a boat that provides leverage for the helmsman to turn the rudder...
. These wooden steering arms are sometimes carved in the face of a dog or animal. The caïque often has a horizontal
Horizontal plane
In geometry, physics, astronomy, geography, and related sciences, a plane is said to be horizontal at a given point if it is perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field at that point— in other words, if apparent gravity makes a plumb bob hang perpendicular to the plane at that point.In...
windlass
Windlass
The windlass is an apparatus for moving heavy weights. Typically, a windlass consists of a horizontal cylinder , which is rotated by the turn of a crank or belt...
mounted over the bow. The bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
is also known in Greek as the proura or plowri, similar to the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
prow
Prow
thumb|right|295pxThe prow is the forward most part of a ship's bow that cuts through the water. The prow is the part of the bow above the waterline. The terms prow and bow are often used interchangeably to describe the most forward part of a ship and its surrounding parts...
.
Most caïques are painted white, to counter the powerful sun, with the strakes and topsides
Topsides
On an offshore oil platform, Topsides refers to the surface hardware installed. This includes the oil production plant, the accommodation block and the drilling rig...
in vivid chromatic colors. The name of the boat is painted or carved on a tablet, on the planking below the bow.
Each caïque is unique. The majority are built from the boatbuilder's craft and memory having no plans. The bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
post distinguishes the caïque from other Mediterranean working boats.
Modern-day use
Traditionally the caïque was used for fishing and trawling. Of late they have become a short excursion vessel, and former fishermen make money from the summer tourist trade on the busy islands, such as CorfuCorfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
(Kerkyra) and Mykonos
Mykonos
Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also...
.
The art of the boatbuilder is dying as plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
and fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
craft supersede the wooden craft.
Bosporus light skiff
Caïque is also the term for a light skiff or long, narrow rowboat used especially on the Bosporus, TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Historically, a caïque was a boat of 5-6 meters in length, and 1 meter in width, used mainly for transportation. It had a shape similar to that of a skate. Both ends of it were in such a form that it could be rowed in either direction with equal ease. The sides consisted of two long embellished boards. There were also lateral boards supporting the sides against water pressure.
There were also imperial caïques used by the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
sultans and his suite for ceremonial and daily excursion purposes. The size and grandeur of this type, adorned with imperial armorials and floral scrolls, was a reflection of his royal power. Another feature of imperial caiques was the deck pavilion, a partition or a small kiosk for the Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
. By reason of this feature they were also called the pavilion caïques.
Today, ordinary caïques are used mainly for local fishing purposes, and the current imperial caïques are modern reconstructions utilized for touristic purposes only.
Etymology
From the FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
caïque, from the Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
caicco, from the Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
kayık (the source of the word loaned into the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
kaiki
Kaiki
Kaiki may refer to:*Kaiki Nobuhide, sumo wrestler*Caïque, is a wooden fishing boat usually found among the waters of the Ionian or Aegean Seas....
and ultimately the English word as well), from the Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
qayïq or qayïk), related to the Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
qayeq but ultimately from the Old Turkic qayghug and qayghuq.
External links
- Gatetoturkey.com - Imperial caiques on the Bosphorus
- Caïques of the Sultans - Photo gallery of Imperial caiques