River Routes on the Tagus

RIVER ROUTES VARINO O BOA VIAGEM

ENGLISH

RIVER ROUTES ON THE TAGUS

Every year between April and October Moita City Council organises boat trips on the Tagus aboard a traditional, varino type vessel “O Boa Viagem” (Good Trip). A series of river routes of cultural, ecological and tourist interest has been put forward with a view to putting at the disposal of user groups the possibility of getting to know the wide diversity of the Tagus estuary (salt marshes, salt flats and evidence of heritage). These different routes may last three hours or a day, depending on the tide times. This is how we would like to invite all those who wish to experience a different day with your family and friends and share moments of relaxation and leisure, taking a river trip aboard the municipal vessel «O Boa Viagem».

O BOA VIAGEM

“O Boa Viagem” is a varino type vessel with a flat bottom, long rudder, a round bow, elongated and curved inwards. Its mast is inclined sternwards where the quadrangular lateen sail unfurls and a staysail on the bow.

The year of its construction is not known, we only know that in 1900 it was owned by Emygdio Gonçalves and was registered with the Lisbon Harbour Master under the name of “Marechal Saldanha”. In 1907 it was sold to the shipowner Albano José António Leite who gave it its first name “Albano I”.

In around 1962 it underwent major recovery work at the Seixal shipyard of António Gravidão and during these works they increased its tonnage from 50 to 60 tonnes.

For years this vessel carried out the transport of cork produced in the factories of Seixal, Alhos Vedros and Moita. Very often it was used for loading and unloading ships, as, in view of the fact it was a flat-bottomed boat, it could receive cargo at locations which were inaccessible to frigates, transferring it from large vessels to land. However, with the progress made by road haulage and the construction of the bridges of Vila Franca de Xira and Lisbon, river activity began to die out and in the mid-1970’s “Albano I” stopped working and, as happened with other vessels, it was left to rot. In 1980 Moita City Council decided to acquire the vessel and see to its recovery, work which was carried out at the Dock Master José Lopes shipyard in Gaio. On September 11th 1981 the varino was presented at Moita quay for the first time to the locals going by its new name of “O Boa Viagem”, a name which was assigned by the local government in view of the local religious devotion to Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem.

Between 2010 and 2011 “O Boa Viagem” was again submitted to a major intervention which involved the actual structure of the vessel at the Sarilhos Pequenos shipyard under the supervision of Dock Master Jaime Costa.

During the course of this recovery ancestral shipbuilding techniques were used in terms of carpentry, calking and traditional paintwork which greatly recalls the processes and techniques used for the construction of former vessels which used to make maritime exploration trips. This reflects the importance of the varino in terms of heritage both as testimony to a reminder of work connected with transport and as a repository of methods dating back centuries, associated with shipbuilding, making this boat a real floating, living museum, the material expression of a Tagus whose historic identity was built with the movement of these traditional vessels.

DIMENSIONS Length: 20.64 metres Breadth: 5.25 metres Depth: 1.45 metres Tonnage: 37.79 tonnes Crew: The varino sailed with a three-strong crew, one skipper and two able seamen.

CROSS-SECTION AND THE LONGITUDINAL VIEW OF THE VARINO

BOW

STERN

BREADTH

DEPTH

BOAT’S COMPLEMENT The river trips are carried out with a minimum number of 15 people and a maximum of 47.

OTHER INFORMATION

By dint of its natural characteristics, the estuary of the River Tagus constitutes an excellent habitat for the rich, diversified avifauna which finds its place of refuge, feeding, reproduction and nesting there. Throughout the year, but in particular in the Autumn and Winter months, it is possible to observe a vast number of aquatic birds.

In actual fact, it was because of its avifauna that the Tagus estuary gained its status as the most important humid area in the country and one of the most important in Europe.

Hence, during the course of river trips aboard the varino “O Boa Viagem�, it is highly likely to witness or catch a glimpse of some of the species of avifauna which usually frequent certain spots on the estuary and which we have listed below: Wading bird, especially in former salt flats; Avocet in the intertidal silt areas; Greater flamingo in the former salt flats and intertidal silts; Little egret in the silts, former salt flats and salt marshes; Grey heron in the salt marshes and intertidal area; Dunlin in the silts and intertidal sands; Black-tailed godwit in the former salt flats and intertidal area; Cormorant in the estuary islets or sandy points; Black-headed gull in the silts, sands and former salt flats; Lesser black-backed gull in the silts, sands and former salt flats; Herring gull in the silts, sands and former salt flats; Mallard in former salt flats; Common moorhen in fresh water reed beds, lakes or ponds; Coot in fresh water reed beds, lakes or ponds.

RIVER ROUTES THREE-HOUR

Gaio | Alhos Vedros | Gaio Gaio | Base Aérea do Montijo | Baixa da Banheira | Gaio Gaio | Rosário | Esteiro Furado | Gaio Gaio | Rosário | Montijo | Gaio Gaio | Rosário | Sarilhos Pequenos | Gaio

RIVER ROUTES DAY-LONG

Gaio | Base Aérea do Montijo | Alcochete | Gaio Gaio | Base Aérea do Montijo | Vila Franca de Xira | Gaio Gaio | Parque das Nações | Santa Apolónia | Alcântara | Belém | Gaio Gaio | Parque das Nações | Santa Apolónia | Alcântara | Porto Brandão Trafaria | Gaio Gaio | Parque das Nações | Santa Apolónia | Gaio Gaio | Base Aérea do Montijo | Ponta da Erva | Gaio Gaio | Santa Apolónia | Terreiro do Paço | Almada | Seixal | Barreiro | Gaio

www.cm-moita.pt CONTACTS DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND CULTURE / CULTURE DIVISION: Rua João da Nova, nº.3 – 2860-469 Moita Tel.: 21/081 70 00 | Fax 21/081 70 19 e-mail: div.cultural@mail.cm-moita.pt TOURISM OFFICE: Rua Dr. Miguel Bombarda nº.2 A – 2860-461 Moita Tel.: 21/280 68 58 e-mail: sec.turismo@mail.cm-moita.pt

PUBLISHER: Câmara Municipal de Moita / DASC / Divisão de Cultura TEXTS AND RESEARCH: Maria Clara Santos DESIGN: DIRP/CAG: Tânia Luz PHOTOS: José Presumido e arquivo da CMM MAPS: Rita Costa TRANSLATION: Alphatrad Internacional Lda. PRINTING: NUMBER OF UNITS: 500 EDITION: SEPTEMBER 2011 LEGAL DEPOSIT: