Station 14

The “xeiteira”

The "xeiteira" was the boat par excellence for catching sardines. It takes its name from the art of the "xeito", a net made of a single piece of cloth that was set out to sea, generally in two sets, the "asexo", at dusk, and the "alba", just before dawn. The '”xeito” is spread out at sea, attached to the boat at one end only: the upper rope is used to attach the buoys, which keep it afloat, and the lower rope is weighted with weights.

It is a boat with a trapezoid-shaped reef sail, which gave it agility and speed. Between four and six people fished on it, usually including a young boy, who carried out the maintenance tasks and was learning the trade. The campaign began around April, with the arrival of the first sardines on the coast, and lasted until the beginning of autumn, when bad weather made the work difficult and the sardines disappeared.

In Caldebarcos, at the other end of the beach from Carnota, the last "xeiteira" was built in Galicia, the "Marina", currently in the Massó Museum in Bueu.

The old "xeiteiras" no longer sail, but on beaches such as Mar de Lira or in ports such as Portocubelo and Quilmas, we can still find boats that maintain traditional forms.


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