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Saturday 14 November 2009

Fishing boat III - Story of ancient Samaina

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The pine-clad forests of Samos provided high quality materials for the making of 'Samaines', a very significant achievement in the area of naval architecture of the antiquity. The durability of the pines, the special knowledge in woodcutting and the advanced techniques of the shipbuilders of Samos makes the island known up to date. The pines of the island are still considered to be the best soft lumber for ship making. Even though it is not laboratory-checked, properties like high resin content, the smooth structure of the wood and the natural curves of the trunk as well as its durability are definitely great advantages that make it appropriate for ship making. The lumberjacks picked and cut the larger trees. The bark was removed and then animals were used to drag the trunks to the shipyards. There the experienced shipbuilders turned wood into ships, making the navy of Samos famous. The ship Samaina was the most representative sample of ancient Samos' ship making. It is said that it was designed by Polykrates himself. Using these, the Samos' navy dominated in the Greek seas and founded colonies in far places. It was a fast battleship with sails and three rows of paddles. It had a strong bow and it had great capacity for soldiers and merchandise.

info:http://www.travel-to-samos.com/page.php?page_id=124

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