The 19th Century Cargo-Contraband sailing boat under constraction.
Her name "Medon Plioni".
A new, experimental, reconstruction. An Aegean hull, "Tserniki" or "sakoleva" as so often call this type of boat in different areas of the Archipelagos according to the rigging or sails, the boat was carrying.
The "sakoleva" as term refers mainly to simple rigging of a vessel, (a square sail held spread by a diagonal antenna in a small mast, while the "Greek Sakkoleva-1835", from the designs of admiral. Paris, shows-refers to particular vessel (hull and rigging).

The word "sakolaifea" is used to describe a type of sail which first appears in Byzantine texts of the 12th century comes, etymologically from "sago" (mantle) and “λαιφος” (garment). The earliest depictions of the rigging of sakoleves found in tombstones and reliefs from the 1st to the 3rd century ship in Italy and Greece. From then, the word has appeared in a number of variants, such “sakoleves -sakolefa -sakolefi-tsakouleva” etc.
The study of the design and the construction made by Nickolas Vlavianos and is on progress under his directions and supervision with the shipwrights team. The New build of “tserniki with transom” rigged sacoleva (sprit sail) with square course and top sail. These boats were extremely fast and can handle easy the raff and rapid changing of the unpredictable Aegean and east med weather. Carrying light cargo and mainly used for smuggling or from privateers for piracy, later as sponge diving boats and very rarely for fishing. This type of boats among others was extinguished by the end of the WWII. These boats were in lengths from 9m to max 19m, but usually 12-14m. The hull was often and sharp enders.
Today we build again this extinguish type of boat with waterline length of 10,63m, while keeping the aspect ratio of the old deep hull, without engine. The only auxiliary, will be the 4 oarsand small 25php inbord engine . The construction was planed in accordance with the requirements of traditional shipbuilding and seamanship fashion of the 19th century in the Hellenic archipelagos.
The use of the appropriate types of native Greek timber, specifically for each case it was the Number One of the biggest problems we had to deal and took gigantic dimensions when we agreed to follow with great accuracy the directions of Theophrastus (companion and continuer of the work of Aristotle) in his books "Enquiry into Plants" or "Historia Plantarum" (Greek: "Περὶ φυτῶν ἱστορία") on what kind timber to use, how to fell, astrological observations and guidelines of when to fell, how to pre-treated and to prepare for boatbuilding use.
Today the forestry in Greece is in very poor state and fine trees were illegally and arbitrarily felled for heating fire wood or burned in big fires. There are of course many remaining forests but very difficult to find the good trees. We found trees according the above mentioned instructions but were in scattered in different forests, in isolated and remote areas from road access. The bureaucratic process is terribly difficult to get a permission to cut a tree, the one we need with the matching curves and size. always we did a libation to the spirit of the tree, planted always next to the felling tree, two new saplings from the same tree seed, or offshoots. Many times we pull with mules the logs, paving skid trails to the sea or to nearby forest roads.
To build the boat we are using as it was traditional the following timber. For the keelson and the sister keelson we use of pine (Pinus brutia).For the keel, apron, dead wood we use eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) very rare to find in Greece), and cypress (Cupressus sempervirens). For the frames, the floor’s the first and second futtocks use of elm (Ulmus glabra), for the third futtocks and top timber, ash (Fraxinus ornus). For the stern & stem post we use mulberry (Morus nigra). The covering board and the water way oak (Quercus aegilops) The gunwale and the transom made from Walnut ( Juglans regia). The stringers made from Cypress and pine The freeboard planking made from Whitebark pine (Pinus heldreichii), the underwater hull planking made of Cypress, all the internal reinforcements water ways from Acacia or black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). The Spars made from cypress and spruce (Picea abies). The frames are all fastened by treenails from oak (Quercus coccifera) as well we will later fasten and the planking.

This boat will be constructed and rigged with respect to traditional boatbuilding skills arts and seamanship. Build under strict specifications from the keel up the bolt roping of the sail, and the rigging,. The boatbuilding work will made mostly with traditional tools.
In the construction of course we have provided by the kindly help modern, effective and necessary power tools.
The proof for all this effort will be when the boat under sail without an engine sail again the Aegean sea reaching as far, all the way up to the Black sea and to the north Africa cost as usually were sailing these boats.
We are closely followers of the tradition of our ancestors throughout the combination.

The idear came some 30years ago to re-establish the trade under sails between the Hellenic Archipelagos islands and the main land caring all that beautiful goods the earth is giving to us and Especially after all these years (60+) without fertilizers... is not only "organic" but Natural cultivated goods. This dream it s time to become reality.