Curiosities - Moliceiro Boat

Have moliceiros always been decorated with decorative panels?

No. The first moliceiros were painted with black pitch, which also served to cure the wood. Their owners didn't bother with painting, because it wasn't their habit, to save money and also because at the time the builders didn't have a motto (identifying mark of the builder).

How many moliceiros have there been in the Ria de Aveiro? And today?

According to João Lemos (‘Tu, Moliceiro’, 2022) there were 1342 moliceiros in 1883. This number dropped to 602 moliceiros in 1967. Currently (unconfirmed figure) the number is likely to be less than 50 moliceiros throughout the Ria. Most of these are now motorised.

Are there only moliceiros in the Ria de Aveiro?

No. There have always been other boats in the Ria de Aveiro, such as the Bateira, the Ílhava, the Matolas, the Mercantéis and other pleasure craft.

How were the first moliceiro boats powered?

Initially, moliceiros boats were powered by sail and pole, by the arms of the moliceiros ‘the profession of the person who collected the moliço’.

Is the moliceiro boat considered Naval Heritage?

The idea has been around since 2001 (when the ‘Congress of Traditional Vessels’ was held in Portugal - see more here), but it never got off the ground. Almost 20 years later, the first phase of the process, which involved carrying out basic studies, was approved by the 11 CIRA municipalities and launched in 2019, after which the application, which has now been finalised, was drawn up. If approved, this will be the first ‘UNESCO label’ in the region, and CIRA believes that this could raise its profile and be an additional attraction for ‘attracting tourists’. See RTP news item (see here)

How many tonnes of seaweed did the Moliceiro boat carry?

A moliceiro boat could carry around 7 tonnes of moliço.

What is the chemical composition of a tonne of dried moliço?

Nitrogen, Carbonic Anhydride, Potash (see here what is meant by Potash) and Lime.

How much does a moliceiro boat cost?

Nowadays the price can reach €30,000. In 2015 it cost €15,000. In 1984 it cost 250,000$. See more in João Lemos (‘Tu, Moliceiro’, 2022 - page 59)