On the west coast of Madagascar, naval tradition is very important, due to the origin of the population but mostly due to the story. These stories, that of the Joachim family would be the most interesting of them.
For one who has the eye, boats on the West Coast are all typed Indian or Arab, there are those that stand out.
Besides the canoe Indonesian kinds, dhows Indian type and long African pirogues, there are those with two masts and a draft favoring freight transport, Breton schooners.
® Gael RAKOTOVAO > This is because they were directly related to a French family who came to Madagascar ago more 150 years thanks to King Radama II.
The King's call
At the time, Arab and European merchant ships dominated the seas of Madagascar. The king Radama the 2nd, Madagascar's king at the time, appealed to the French government to help regain that dominance. In response to this request, the French sent Joachim Family from Reunion island.
Sadly, King Radama II was assassinated before the arrival of Joachims. likewise, Unfortunately for Joachims, they were forced to flee soon after arrival. It took several decades to return to the west coast of Madagascar.
It is then, in the villages of Morondava and Belo-sur-Mer, Joachims that could finally start they were called to the cause : build schooners for Madagascar.
The legacy
Shortly after, Joachim family created its own shipbuilding schools to enable them to teach their craft to the Malagasy.
Nowadays, schooners built in Morondava and Belo-sur-Mer are manufactured to the original techniques of the Joachim family. About 12 schooners per year are built and launched. The biggest difference from the methods of the Joachim family is that local construction introduced a style called "Fomba" : quand les times (kind of astrologer) premises are required to monitor and supervise the construction. It is these mpanandro that decide the date of the launch of a schooner.
Many Malagasy in the west coast are poor and electricity is not available in some of these small fishing towns. Therefore, manufacturers still make these Malagasy vessels by hand.
The day of the launch of a new schooner, the whole village meets to party.
®Gaël RAKOTOVAO