Section 2.1. Taking advantage of the wind.
Taking advantage of the wind
Wood, ropes, nails, cloth and not much more were transformed into machines, shaped by human tools and efforts. And these machines were able to roam the seas, using the force of the wind to fill the sails on the Latin-rig boats, typical of the Mediterranean.
Short sea shipping, trade around our sea
"Cabotatge" is the Catalan word for short sea shipping, which involved sailing from port to port along the coast, avoiding venturing into the open sea. It is a style of sailing that is very typical of the Mediterranean. Coastal shipping from Lloret, and by extension, along much of the Catalan coast, was the traffic that kept the maritime economy of the country alive. The ships left from Lloret and reached the main Catalan and Valencian ports. They even went south to Cádiz, from where larger sail boats headed to the Americas. Short sea shipping from Lloret is recorded from the 14th century, but it was the second half of the 18th century and throughout the 19th century when it really took off.
Experiences on a voyage: from Lloret to Cádiz
Bravery, craftsmanship, courage, wind and the simplicity of the ships were the basic ingredients necessary for Lloret sailors from the 18th and 19th centuries to travel along the ports of coastal towns and cities. The loaded materials and products and transported them from one place to another, and then they sailed on with new cargo.
