The extraordinary importance that sloops had in the history of Brazil and especially Bahia, as a means of transporting food, people, construction materials, animals and all types of goods, is the main focus of this book, which also aims to raise awareness among readers of general public, especially public authorities, about the need to preserve this vessel that is, today, on the brink of extinction.
It is estimated that, over the last hundred years, the number of sloops in the Baía de Todos-os-Santos has fallen from 1,200 to two dozen, reaching the end of the 20th century abandoned to their own devices. Its preservation is not limited, however, to the rescue of a certain number of boats, but to the rescue of a set of ancestral knowledge of inestimable value.
Composed of three chapters – Baía de Todos-os-Santos: the sea of sloops, A Bahia and its sloops: apogee and decline and In the balance of the waters: paths to overcoming, signed by Carlos Ribeiro and Pedro Bocca, photographs by Nilton Souza, edition and design by Solisluna Editora, the book VIVA SAVEIRO: NAVAL PATRIMÔNIO DA BAHIA addresses historical and geographical aspects related to the existence of this vessel and its habitat: the numerous cities, towns and villages that it visited in its daily work.
It highlights the profound mark left on the state's cultural landscape, reflected in the visual arts, music, cinema, literature and photography; ecological, economic and technological aspects involved in its manufacture; the strategic importance of its participation in historical events, such as the fight for Brazilian Independence, and the admirable practices linked to life at sea, including the surprising navigation techniques transmitted from father to son, as well as aspects related to the storage of products, hygiene and food provided on board. There is also a special chapter on the main living saveirista masters.
Published in a careful bilingual edition (Portuguese/English), this book emphasizes the work developed by Associação Viva Saveiro to create alternative conditions for these vessels in activities linked to leisure and tourism, the only way to guarantee their survival in the present.
The edition is sold out at the publisher, you can contact Associação Viva Saveiro www.vivasaveiro.org
