I saw this carrack replica named 'Karaka' coming in port as we were preparing ourselves for our next trip and at same time snapped some pics. The same evening I was out walking after dinner and passed the Karaka and talked to the crew that were Filipinos, the were very friendly and gave me a flyer explaining their program of day cruising or the Game of Thrones experience in the evening and whatnot. Had I had more time I would have considered a short trip.
Karaka
As I looked for more info the Karaka I found they had a lot of online presence including their own website and FB page (links below). For me was also news that the carrack design is said to have stemmed from Dubrovnik, not knowing enough about the history and development of medieval sailing ships I don't know if they were invented in tandem across the Mediterranean or if the ideas spread from Dubrovnik to various ship building nations that then used these to conquer the world. Like e.g. the Americas, West Indies, India and Africa.
I found out that this modern replica of the Dubrovnik Karaka was designed by maritime expert Franjo Flesch. Its steel hull and masts were built in 2004 at the Odisej shipyard in Kaštel Gomilica, and the traditional wooden superstructure and finishing touches were completed at the Betina Shipyard on the island of Murter. She was launched in 2004 and has a length of 30.9m.
The completion of the modern Karaka at the Betina Shipyard in 2004 was a process that blended modern engineering with old Adriatic craftsmanship. Because todays safety regulations required a core steel hull, the shipwrights in Betina faced the unique challenge of completely disguising the steel structure to look like a authentic 16th-century wooden merchant galleon. To be honest I think they did a magnificent job of it, for the layman I would say it would be very difficult to discern the steel hull from all the timber above the water line.
Wood-Cladding the Steel Hull
Local master carpenters (kalafati) built a custom wooden framework over the interior and exterior of the steel hull. They meticulously hand-shaped and attached thick wooden planks — primarily tough oak and larch — completely cladding the vessel in wood. To me the style looked the same as the Spanish carrack Nao Trinidad that I saw a year ago in Tarragona. This process required traditional steam-bending techniques to match the rounded, high-walled contours typical of historical Dubrovnik ships.
Crafting the High Castle Superstructures
The defining feature of a 16th-century carrack is her towering bow and stern castles. The Betina shipwrights built these multi-level structures completely from wood, using traditional joinery. This included creating the captain's quarters, internal staircases, heavy wooden doors, and the intricate decorative trim that gave the ship its medieval appearance.
Stepping the Masts and Rigging
The ship’s massive three-mast configuration was fully assembled and stepped at the shipyard. From the look of it I think she's not much of a sailing vessel today but more for show with the amount of sails she displays in the pictures.
Karaka
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History of the carrack of Dubrovnik, Croatian article:
Skilled Dubrovnik sailors sailed on various ships, and for trade they mostly used the famous Dubrovnik carrack. The early development and importance of seafaring is also discussed in the most important Dubrovnik book, the Dubrovnik Statute from 1272, where the entire seventh book is dedicated to seafaring.
Difficult circumstances and Ottoman incursions did not stop the Ragusan sailors. Through skillful negotiations with various parties, they continued to sail and trade in all the major ports of Italy, France, Spain, the Black Sea, North Africa, and even the coasts of Western Europe.
In the 14th century, local shipbuilders began building the Dubrovnik carrack. It was an extraordinary Dubrovnik ship, built of top-quality wood, of great strength and durability compared to similar ships in other countries. The Dubrovnik carrack had a round hull, with a raised bow and stern. It was larger than a caravel, but somewhat slower and with weaker maritime capabilities. It had a cross sail on the foremast, two cross sails on the main mast, and a lateen sail on the stern. It was up to 40 meters long, 15 meters wide, and 10 meters high. It had a draft of 5 meters, a deadweight of 1,250 tons, with about a hundred crew members and up to 40 cannons.
As a transport ship, it could transport the largest amount of cargo and more than a thousand people at the time, but the people of Dubrovnik banned the slave trade in 1416 and have not transported them since then, despite the fact that everyone else was making a good living from it.
In the 16th century, they increased their fleet to more than 180 ships, carrying 36,000 cartloads, approximately 57,000 tons with crews of around 250 native captains and 5,000 sailors.
The people of Dubrovnik perfected, enlarged and developed the carrack into the karagun, which in various ports was called the karakun, karakone or argosy. It was the largest and most prestigious merchant ship in the entire world. The Karaka was the best ship of its time, a pearl of Dubrovnik's and Croatian maritime tradition that still sails through tourist replicas today.
Karaka
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I found online a Croatian article of the Karaka and more or less the full story behind her and there is also the backstory for the Game of Thrones scenery that was used in Dubrovnik for this famous TV series:
08.06.2016 by Josip Antic
New life of the famous karaka
Another piece of evidence in support of the fascination with the Dubrovnik Republic
For Stjepan, a student from Zagreb, it is a pilgrimage to the old glory of Dubrovnik's maritime history, for Alexandra from Munich it is a wonderful trip to Kings Landing from Game of Thorne, and for Mery and John from New York it is the most romantic dinner of their honeymoon. For Frano Radošević, a Dubrovnik captain, it is a job, but a job of a lifetime. He is the captain of the Karaka, a replica of the famous Dubrovnik ship that has been sailing the Dubrovnik waters under his command for twelve years, and there is hardly a selfish person who flies around the world from the City without seeing its white sails with a red cross break alongside the city's peace.
For Karaka, Gospar Frano is more than just a grandfather; he is behind the story that brought the famous ship from Dubrovnik's maritime history back to sea from old testament paintings and sketches, from the very beginning, from the idea, through the long construction of the ship and its launch to everyday sailing. One could say that he is both her grandfather and her soul.
'In my career, I have commanded various types of ships, including sailing ships, but the Karaka is special, it is not a ship, it is a time machine,' says Captain Frano, a lover of Dubrovnik's maritime history since his youth.
'It seems to me that we are not paying enough attention to our maritime heritage, which in many segments is equal to the greatest world achievements. For example, what the Titanic is for the early 20th century, the Dubrovnik Karaka is for the 16th century, only with a much happier fate. The point is that the Dubrovnik ship at that time was one of the largest and safest ships in the world, a marvel of shipbuilding of that time. Between the 14th and 17th centuries, the Karaka was one of the most important ships in the Mediterranean Sea and can be considered the predecessor of all sailing ships that developed until the 19th century,' says Captain Frano, adding that the Republic of Dubrovnik built almost 200 ships that sailed all over the world's seas, and in addition to the Karaka, galleys were also built (there is also a replica of the Tirreno galleon in Dubrovnik).
Carracks transported expensive cargo, were armed with up to 40 cannons to defend against pirates, and had crews of up to 140 people. The Dubrovnik carrack had three masts, the middle one being the tallest. It has two crossed sails. The mast at the bow has a crossed sail, and at the stern a Latin sail. The sails were heavy and were raised with the help of a hand winch. The stern is high, which is a characteristic of ocean-going ships. 'At the end of the 16th century, the carrack was improved, so it could transport up to 1,000 soldiers and 900 tons of cargo. The people of Dubrovnik were top masters in building carracks, they used the highest quality wood, and on their voyages they traveled as far as Great Britain and the USA,' says the captain, and from navigational landmarks he moves on to the interior, in which the carracks were equally amazing, both in terms of luxury and the way they used the space. For example, in the central space of the carrack, there was a ceiling with paintings by the masters of the time. Some of them had blacksmith and carpenter workshops, a well with water and a garden, and even housing for pigs, chickens and rabbits.
'In the works of William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice and The Taming of the Shrew, the word argosy is mentioned, which actually means Dubrovnik's Karaka. All this tells you that in the story of including Karaka in the tourist offer, we were aware of the importance and potential of the project. But also the difficulties,' says the captain.
First of all, the old Karaka is a merchant ship, the modern one is a tourist ship. These are completely different purposes, which means that different wishes had to be harmonized.
'This meant that every detail had to be given special attention. That's why the construction of the Karaka on Murter in Betina took a long time and was behind schedule. On the one hand, many aspects of the ship were adapted to modern tourist standards, so the entire interior is air-conditioned for the comfort of passengers, and on the other hand, we insisted on conjuring up the feeling of the 16th century,' says Captain Frano.
Karaka
The replica of the old carrack was designed by the Dubrovnik shipbuilding expert Franjo Flesch, so the steel hull was made in Split, and the key wooden parts were finished in Betina, which gave it such an appearance that it was impossible to notice that it was not made entirely of wood. The carrack is 35 meters long over the deck, has three masts (the tallest is 27 meters), and can accommodate 215 tourists. The interior of the ship is very modern - it has four decks, three salons, several bars and a restaurant. It is powered by two 280 horsepower engines, and its average speed is 9.5 to 10.5 knots. The ship was built under the official support and patronage of the city of Dubrovnik, but this did not imply any financial support.
It was clear from the first day that Karaka was a hit when she was tied up at her home port in Gruž.
'There is no guest in Dubrovnik who does not stop in front of the Karaka at the mooring. Everyone is delighted and poses in front of her, but boarding requires something more – a well-developed and diverse sailing plan, adapted to the wishes of tourists,' says the captain, adding that some guests prefer a calm atmosphere, while others are more inclined to modern and glamorous spectacles. The first ones, without much thought, choose a cruise to the Elaphiti Islands, which is on the program from May to October, which is to say that this story was recorded a little after the opening of the season. While after sailing from Gruž, the pine-covered Koločep, Lopud, and Šipan line up. It is especially interesting to observe the reactions of tourists.
'The ship is excellent, we didn't expect it to be like this. We have similar trips in Turkey, but this sun and nature are special, and the historical atmosphere makes you have two times combined in one trip, the present and the past. Dubrovnik is well preserved, you can see that people cherish their history, and I am also fascinated by the long ties between Turkey and your city,' says Murat Haydar, a businessman from Istanbul.
Karaka
He, like other tourists, is interested in the details of how the Karaka sailed, so the crew shows them how to operate the sails, and when the sun gets too strong, some take refuge in the air-conditioned salons, while the younger ones indulge in the warmth on the deck sun loungers. There are also those who want to experience what it's like to steer a Karaka. For those who prefer the sea in a romantic atmosphere, the Karaka crew offers a cruise around Lokrum with dinner at sunset. However, the greatest interest is for - 'Game of Thrones', the world-famous HBO series filmed in Dubrovnik in which Karaka played one of the roles.
" 'Game of Thrones' fans don't miss a cruise that takes them into a completely different atmosphere than that of Dubrovnik's history or romance. This is a voyage into fantasy and spectacle, and our guides are full of stories about the series, the city, the noble families of Westeros and King's Landing, and anecdotes from filming," says Sandra Batarelo, company director and owner of Karaka.
Some locations are visible from the sea (Red Keep, where King Joffrey celebrates his name day – Fort Lovrijenac , the walls of Dubrovnik, where Tyrion Lannister and Varys walked, City of Qarth – Lokrum Island, House of the Undying – Bokar and Minčeta fortresses), and others can be visited on a walking tour (Gradac Park – Purple Wedding Set, Rupe Museum – brothel, Pile where King Joffrey faced riots and many others).
The media loved Karaka even before Game of Thrones, CNN chose a trip on it as the best way to see the coast, France5 selected footage from it for the popular show Thalassa, and Karaka's cruises were used by the BBC and Japanese television. British Airways included Karaka in its 2012 Short Breaks Campaign . Many world stars, including Mickey Rourke and Gabourey Sidibe, enjoyed the cruise, the rich cuisine, and the comfort of Karaka. In twelve years of sailing, Karaka, in addition to its popularity, was also awarded, and in 2005 it received the Blue Flower award from the Croatian Tourist Board for the most original tourist offer.
'Karaka is a tourist story with many possibilities. Guests often return, just last week we had guests who enjoyed our Sunset and Dinner cruise and were so delighted that they decided to organize their wedding ceremony and dinner with dancing on Karaka. A large number of congress organizers also recommend Karaka for numerous events such as cocktail-aperitifs, team building , dinners with a view of the city...', says Sandra, convinced that Croatian maritime heritage, not only in Dubrovnik, can, if properly thought out, become a special feature of the eastern Adriatic tourist offer.
Many Croatian coastal towns have a rich shipbuilding and maritime history, and many have brought it back from oblivion in one way or another. Rovinj has returned the batana, Murter the lateen sail and the gajet, Komiža the falkuša, and it is precisely this maritime heritage and its valuation that is the focus of the conference that will be held in Betina on June 10 and 11 under the title 'Maritime Heritage in Local Communities, Models of Sustainability'. It is organized by the Office of the Croatian Member of the EU Parliament Tonino Picula, and on this occasion experiences from other European maritime countries will be heard, as well as how the Union finances projects related to maritime heritage through various funds and the Erasmus program.
If someone at the national level were to seriously consider what maritime heritage means to Croatia and how to include it in the tourist offer, perhaps the story of Karaka and the aforementioned successes of local communities, which are currently poorly networked, could become a brand. Let's say something like what the French city of Brest has done with its maritime tradition with the Festival of the Sea, which attracts thousands of ships and visitors every year.
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The Karaka in the evening at Marina Gruz
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