- Caïque
A caïque (Greek: "kaiki", from Turkish: "kayık") is a wooden
fishing boat usually found among the waters of the Ionian orAegean Sea s.It is traditionally a small wooden trading vessel, brightly painted and rigged for sail. The Caïque is also a typical case of positioning the beam far aft, with a long sharp bow. [Robertson, J. C. "The Mechanics' Magazine, Museum, Register, Journal, and Gazette". [http://books.google.com/books?id=kZgAAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA314&dq=caique Page 314] ]Construction
Caïques were built on the
foreshore in ashipyard , frompine wood.The hull of the craft is built with sawn ribs and a timber keel, stem, etc. covered with caravel planking, terminated with the deck. The frame of the craft is often painted with orange primer, to preserve and seal the timber. The caïque usually has a short mast .
A
bowsprit is stayed byrigging . In thestern of the caïque the predominant form is thetiller . These wooden steering arms are sometimes carved in the face of a dog or animal. The caïque often has a horizontalwindlass mounted over the bow. The bow is also known in Greek as the "proura" or "plowri", similar to the Englishprow .Most caïques are painted white, to counter the powerful sun, with the
strakes andtopsides in vivid chromatic colors. The name of the boat is painted or carved on a tablet, on the planking below the bow. Letters on Greek vessels representing theisland s ofGreece give the boat'sprovenance . The prefix N stands for Nisi, the Greek word forIsland .Each caïque is unique. The majority are built from the boatbuilder's craft and memory having no plans. The bow post distinguishes the caïque from other
Mediterranean working boats.Modern-day use
Traditionally the caïque was used for fishing and trawling. Of late they have become a short excursion vessel, and former fishermen make money from the summer tourist trade on the busy islands, such as
Corfu (Kerkyra) andMykonos .The art of the boatbuilder is dying as
plastic andfiberglass craft supersede the wooden craft.Etymology
From the French "caïque", from the Italian "caicco", from the Greek "
kaiki ", from the Turkish "kayık"(the source of the word loaned into the Greek and ultimately the English word as well), from theOttoman Turkish : "qayïq or qayïk"), related to thePersian "qayeq" but ultimately from theOld Turkic "qayghug" and "qayghuq". [ [http://www.penwith.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=23907 Penwith District Council - Boat Types ] ] [ [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-caique.html The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology] "caique": light boat used in the Mediterranean. XVII. "- French "caïque" - Italian "caicco" - Turkish "kayik"."] [ [http://dnghu.org/indoeuropean/indo-european_etymology.htm] "Persian "qayeq" and Greek "καΐκι", “boat”, are from a source akin to French "caique", It. "caicco", i.e. probably Turkish "kayik", O.Turkish "qayghug", maybe from an old Turkic (or otherwise old Asian) word, possibly related to American Indian "kayak", and American Spanish "cayuco". Hence, MIE "kájik", "boat", "caique", "kájak", "kayak"." Here MIE means stands for "Modern Indo-European"] [ [http://www.bartleby.com/61/6/C0020600.html American Heritage Dictionary, 2000 - Caique entry] ]References
* [http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/caique Merriam-Webster Online - Caïque entry]
External links
* Gatetoturkey.com - [http://www.gatetoturkey.com/special/00345/ Imperial "caiques" on the Bosphorus]
* Caïques of the Sultans - [http://www.sultankayiklari.com/gallery.html Photo gallery of Imperial "caiques"]
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