What makes these beautiful old wooden boats so special? Is it the unusual colour of their sails? Their excellent handling? Or their traditional design? For many centuries, zeesenboote were a defining characteristic of the Fischland peninsula. The first zeesenboote date back to the 15th century and their fishing tradition continued until the 1980s when bottom trawling was discontinued.
Traditionally, the cotton sails were impregnated with red earth pigment, wood tar, cod liver oil and a lye from oak bark and beef tallow to protect the fabric from the elements. Zeesenboot hulls are made of oak or larch, with a clinker-built or carvel-built shell. The use of sloop and ketch rigging has stayed the same for centuries.
Whether gathered in Fischland Harbour or racing across the Saaler Bodden, the congregation of such a large number of traditional sailboats is truly an impressive sight.
