Nautical knowledge of the Loire

Nautical knowledge of the Loire is upheld and harnessed by a diverse community, heir to the Community of merchants operating along the River Loire. It revolves around: the architectural style of Loire boats, flat-bottomed barges which are raised at the front, clinker-built, bearing a mast and square sail.These boats sail downriver, following the flow and current, upriver and across the river using various propulsion means (towing, rowing, using a pole, sail or combustion motor). Sailing is practised along a river whose banks have been developed since the Middle Ages, with engineering structures adapted to the river’s changing movements: slipways, quays, ports, levees and “duits” (small channels dug into the riverbed).

This practice reveals an ethnohistory of water governance and people’s relationships with the river. It has its own vocabulary. The main navigational moments (setting sail, the voyage itself, then the arrival) are shared between the sailors and riverside residents and festive events take place throughout the year. This traditional practice has been shared, passed on and is being revived today through its communities in its tangible and intangible forms.

Nautical knowledge of the Loire is not intended to be used for a romanticised re-enactment of a golden age long ago. Its interest lies elsewhere: in reviving traditional techniques, knowledge and interactions associated with the river, in light of contemporary considerations.