Muleta de Seixal – the fishing ship

Muleta de Seixal, also known as Muleta Tag or Muleta z Tartaranha, was one of the most unusual types of Portuguese ships. It appeared around the 16th century; the last boats were found at the beginning of the 20th century. They have become an integral part of the landscape of Seixal and Bareiro, these boats are even depicted in the coats of arms of these two cities. There were several varieties of these boats, they were characterized by a flat bottom, a rounded stern and bow, and a large Latin sail, raised on a sharply bent mast. They were 12 to 14 meters long, with strong and long beams, attached to the back and fore, to which most of the additional sails were attached. A fishing net, which was called a tartaranha, was attached to these beams. The characteristic prow "teeth" have long been read as an influence from ancient Roman ships, but modern research has not confirmed these speculations. Their most likely purpose is to protect the front of the ship from damage.

A simple, but well-designed and well-detailed model of a sailing ship, which even a beginner and less experienced modeler can easily glue together under the supervision of a more experienced colleague. Like all ship models, it will require a lot of patience and hours of work. But, we hope, that the result will make up for it all.