About Palagruza Association

The idea for the establishment of non-profit association shipbuilding workshops related to the gundula boat. That
‘Palagruza’ was created in 2009, in Komiža’s café Keke as part
of the renovation of a traditional regatta Rota Palagruzona. The
association was founded in order to study, foster and promote
the traditional tools, crafts, customs and foods related to the sea.
Some of the important activities of the Palagruza Association
are: participation in the Festival of the sea Rota Palagruzona,
organizing the events Doni Jurkovice and the World Cup in
Škova, participation in the organisation of the St. Nicholas Day
celebrations, organising the Petrova bevonda and so on. In the
context of all these manifestations of the Palagruza Association
original gundula boat was built using the traditional shipbuilding
methods.
Considering that the gundula boats built in Komiža have all the
characteristics as the other traditional boats from the Adriatic,
Palagruza Association had recognised this boat as a significant
part of the both Komiža’s and Croatia’s maritime heritage, and
has therefore decided to preserve its original form for the future
generations, as well as to create an educational program related
to the gundula through the various workshops.

Barake Palagruzone carried out an educational program for the youth, called “Barake
Palagruzone”.

traditional shipbuilding workshops Barake Palgruzone

“gundula from Komiža”
Udruga Palagruza
Palagružina 10, Komiža
e-mail: udruga.palagruza@gmail.com
T.:+385 99 310 65 00
www.rota-palagruzona.com
www.facebook.com/udruga.palagruza
www.facebook.com/ROTAPALAGRUZONA
Copyright © Palagruza Association Komiža
Barake Palagruzone are workshops for the youth aimed at
interesting and educating the younger generations in traditional
values, so that they continue to nurture them, as well as pass
them on to the future generations. The barracks were wooden
structures used for salting the fish and where knowledge and skill
were being passed down from older to younger generations of
fishermen; it was a place where stories and anecdotes were being
used for education in a completely different way compared to the
present methods.
Traditional shipbuilding workshops have started with the
One of the original gundula boats
construction of a small and simple boat called gundula that in Komiža, in the 1956
connects the people of Komiža with pleasant memories and
which is known on the Adriatic coast as a boat of love. Palagruza
Association has found in Komiža an original gundula more than
120 years old, ordered by the first owner of a factory for fish
processing. Gundula boats have been preserved to this day by
the descendants of his family and Palagruza Association had
documented them and prepared a series of simple traditional
Komiža’s fishermen with gajeta
Original Komižan gundula, around 120 years old. and gundula boats
Novice shipbuilder workshop, is designed for the younger
generations, aged 8 to 12, with the planned groups of up to 8
children. In this workshop, children would assemble pre-prepared
parts of the kit system in the 1:10 scale, and are introduced to
the story of gundula and the general parts of the ships and their
names by the lecturers. Workshops are organised in a way that
every child gets its own complete model boat in the kit form
and assembles it within three days, and finally gets to keep it as
a memento.
1:10 scale model workshop as part of the
St. Nicholas Day celebrations
Young shipbuilder workshop B, is based on the construction
of a replica of the Komižan gundula boat in the 1:1 scale with
the use of schematics and templates . Workshop is planned for
the children above the age of 12, with the planned groups of
up to 4 participants. Children are introduced with the safe work
methods, use of the wood crafting tools and the structural parts
of a boat. During the construction process, tools are being used
under the lecturer’s supervision. Boat’s construction is made
from the pine tree wood, and the boat’s plating is made from
waterproof plywood, and everything is being glued together
with a waterproof glue. Additionally, the participants are being
introduced with modern wooden shipbuilding methods such as
the use of lamination and epoxy resin.
1:1 kit system gundula workshop in Komiža
Young shipbuilder workshop A, is based on making replicas of
the Komižan gundula in the scale 1: 1, prepared in the kit system.
The ideal age for the participants is over the age of 12, while
the planned group is up to 4 participants. The advantage of this
workshop is to not use the dangerous tools, and to make children
familiar with the safe work methods, ship construction techniques,
ship’s component and the wood processing techniques. During
the construction of gundula with the kit system, pre-prepared
parts are being glued together with the minimal processing by
sandpaper. Power tools are not being used. Predicted time of
the workshop is up to five days. A finished product should be a 1:1 gundula workshop with the use
lightweight 4m long boat that can be used by children. of plans and templates