Moliceiro boat: naval carpentry art of the Aveiro region
Inscribed in 2025 (20.COM) on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding
The Moliceiro boat is a traditional wooden vessel originally designed for harvesting aquatic plants, an important economic activity for the practising community. Built using pine wood, these boats follow time-honoured shipbuilding techniques that have been passed down through generations. The shipbuilders use a special tool called the ‘pau-de-pontos’ to ensure precise construction measurements. Each Moliceiro boat is also decorated with four painted panels featuring drawings and captions that often carry a humorous or meaningful message. Today, the primary use of Moliceiro boats is for scenic rides along the waterways.
The boat builders work mostly on their own, although they sometimes receive help from family members, apprentices or other boat owners. Once the boat is constructed, painters add the finishing touches, including the decorative panels and the shipbuilder’s emblem. Knowledge of Moliceiro boat construction is passed down through oral tradition within families and shipyards. In recent years, professional courses were created to teach the craft, but none of the course participants are currently active. Cultural spaces and events such as the Moliceiro regattas and panel contests help maintain the boat’s cultural significance, fostering community pride and unity.
