The Lambousa fishing boat is considered a unique historical fishing boat of modern Cyprus culture with rich activity in the eastern Mediterranean waters. The Lambousa fishing vessel, originally named Omonia, was built at Perama, Piraeus in 1955 by Dimitrios Zacharias. It was given the name Lambousa when it arrived at the Famagusta port in 1965. The boat was used for fishing in the Mediterranean Sea for 50 years and is a 25-metre vessel with a 48-ton capacity and a top speed of 10 knots.
The boat was then restored to its original state, and it was used during summer for organized visits with the aim of informing the public about fishing and maritime history and traditions of Limassol and Cyprus. During summer it was anchored at ‘Molos’ (Multifunctional seaside park), Limassol and in the winter, it was kept at the old harbor. The boat was repaired with European funding. Today, it is once again located at the Karnagio area in Limassol, for external and internal improvement works.
Lambousa is one the last traditional fishing boats in Cyprus. Its type is no longer built neither in Cyprus or Greece. The boat was in active service until 2004, when it was given to Limassol Municipality by the Fisheries Department, following the government's decision to withdraw several vessels to protect marine life. It is a representative example of the Greek shipbuilding tradition and an heirloom, a living reminder of the history of Cypriot fishing. Its rescue is a very important milestone in the field of digital cultural heritage, especially because, according to the Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 – the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, certain fishing boats should now be destroyed. The historic fishing boat Lambousa, which is property of the Limassol Municipality and one of Limassol's popular visitable attraction has been docked for the past few years in a corner of the Karnagio shipyard, where it is eaten away by sea salt and weather conditions.
Lambousa was chosen as a case study in the MNEMOSYNE project because it is the oldest existing fishing boat on the island and a unique and important landmark in the contemporary history of the island. It is worth noting that the Municipality of Limassol (the Mayor Mr. Nikos Nicolaides) requested from the Laboratory to holistically document the fishing boat, in order to digitise, protect and preserve it in history using its advanced technology & know-how. This commission was part of a long-standing collaboration between the UNESCO Chair/DHRLab and the Municipality of Limassol, in the context of the MNEMOSYNE project.
In this video we present a short interview with Mrs. Kateriona Loukaidou, the engineer in charge of the restoration and preservation of Lambousa vessel.