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A brief historical review |
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The "Vaudoise" from 1932 until today |
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This bark, originally named “Violette”, was built in 1931 for her owner Mr Eloi Giroud of Villeneuve. She is the last bark of the Lake Geneva type to have been built for carrying freight. Her shipyard was at Bret-Locum, on the French side of Lake Geneva. She is fitted out with the classic rig for " Meillerie" type barks, namely two lateen sails and a jib. (eighteenth century barks had no jib) |
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Like other Lake Geneva barks, the "Violette" carried materials such as stones, sand, gravel and timber. It was in 1948 that the merchandise traffic ceased. In that same year the "Violette" was bought by the "Fraternity of Ouchy Pirates" with the aim of preserving this last Lake Geneva lateen-sail bark in a fit state to navigate.. | |||||||||||||||
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We owe this timely move to the initiative of Dr. Francis Messerli, who died on 16 March 1975. | |||||||||||||||
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In 1948 the "Violette" was given the new name of “La Vaudoise". She revives our memories of the time when the Lake Geneva scenery was alive with sailing barks criss-crossing on its waters. | |||||||||||||||
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Nowadays the "Vaudoise" sails out nearly every day during the summer months, restoring that bygone picturesque scenery to Ouchy and Lake Geneva. These excursions are made possible thanks to the involvement of her crew members (all unpaid) and to the extensive maintenance and restoration work that has kept this craft in seaworthy condition as a living reminder of our past. Restorations of other lateen-sail barks have been sailing since the year 2000 at Le Bouveret and Thonon and will soon be sailing at Vevey. | |||||||||||||||
