Currach

A Curragh, also Currach, rare Curagh or Curach, is a traditional Irish boat made ​​of a lightweight wooden frame, which is covered with canvas and then tarred. It was originally covered with leather and similar to umiaks of Greenland. The Curragh were 4.80 to 5.50 m long, slightly less than 1 m wide and could also have a keel. They have long been used on the west coast of Ireland, particularly on the Aran Islands, to go fishing, and fishing. A presentation from the 17th century were, according to the Curragh transportable seagoing vessels " Wild Irish ".

The " Navigatio "

• Article Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis

In Chapter 4, the Navigatio Sancti Brendani the author describes how St. Brendan with his monks built a Curragh for the planned seafaring across the open sea to the " Isle of the Blessed ". Just the material is described resin impregnated, tanned in oak bark ox hides for upholstery, ash wood for the frames and oak wood for gunwale, oars, and mast, all made ​​with waterproof ( sheep ) fat. Then a hull was constructed with leather strips connected longitudinal and transverse frames, drawn over the skins and sewn together with flat fiber yarns. Rudder, mast, leather straps ( for the shrouds and sheets ), leather sails, and reserve skins, woods and fat perfected the equipment.

A well -designed boat is in the mythical tales Immram Curaig Maile Dúin ( " The boat ride of Máel Dúin " ) and Immram Brain ( " Brans seafaring " ) described.

In 1976 the British adventurer, historian and writer Tim Severin altirisches Leather Curragh to a repetition of the Navigatio exactly this medieval plans and of the same materials. The length was 11 m and the width nearly 3 m. With some companions he sailed the North Atlantic in two stages in the footsteps of St. Brendan. On his journey along the west coast of Ireland, he met two types Curragh know: the of the Aran with straight tail ( see picture above) and the Dingle - type with a pointed tail, which can be controlled in both directions.