There are job offers that are truly unique and certainly not for everyone. One of them, announced a few days ago in congress San Sebastian Gastronomikais the cook on a ship that will sail to Canada next year. But not just any ship, but a replica of the 16th century whaler Nao San Juan and how it was made then. This includes the food that will be transported and the recipes that can be prepared, as well as the living and navigation conditions. That is why it is specified that it has to be ‘brave’ and be ‘motivated’something necessary for anyone who is going to face the same challenges as a sailor from five centuries ago on a voyage in which no type of fate awaits him. ‘comfort’.
The San Juan ship from the 16th century
At that time, the Basque whalers extended their routes beyond the Cantabrian coast to operate in the waters of Newfoundland and Labradorin search of right whale and cod. One of those ships, the ship San Juanwas built in Tickets (Guipúzcoa) around 1563, bound for the whaling stations established in Red Bay (Labrador). The San Juan transported whale oil (processed fat) and numerous barrels when, returning to Europe in 1565, he encountered a violent storm off the coast of Canada and sank.
For centuries it was just another ship at the bottom of the sea, until in 1978 archaeologists of Parcs Canada They located the wreck in Red Bay. Thanks to the low temperatures and mud conditions, the structure of the San Juan was in a remarkable state of conservation. HE mapped each element and those plans were supplied to the Basque shipyard Albaola so that they could serve as a guide for the replica.
The discovery of the San Juan has been considered emblematic in maritime archeology for being one of the best documented 16th century transoceanic shipwrecks.
The San Juan ship of the 21st century
The construction of the new San Juan began in 2013 in Pasaia as a project driven by the condition of European Cultural Capital that San Sebastian had in 2016 and carried out by the Albaola Maritime Factoryusing techniques and materials as faithful as possible to those used in the 16th century.
The process includes recovering lost crafts: the traditional caulking (sealed with fibers and tar), the use of local wood of 200 Navarrese oaks or firs of more than 35 meters from Irati for the masts, and the work in view of the visitor of the shipyard museum facilities. Some of the material, such as tar, has been transported from places like Quintanar de la Sierra in ox-drawn cartsevoking ancient logistics routes.
The new San Juan ship has 28 meters of length, 7.5 of sleeve and 6 strut, with three decks. The keel measures 14.5 meters.
According to Xabier Agotepresident of Albaola, the project is already completed at 95% and only tasks remain such as manufacturing the anchors and the last masts. Its launch is scheduled for November 7after which the sails, rigging and instruments will be installed so that the ship navigate without motorization. The ultimate goal is repeat the original route from the Basque Country to Red Bay (Canada) as a tribute and historical experiment, in addition to serving as a cultural platform for exchange.
Wanted ‘brave’ chef: conditions and menu on the high seas
To carry out this recreated journey, the San Sebastián Gastronomika congress promotes the search for a chef who accepts living in 16th century conditionswith very limited resources. The selection process is carried out by Albaola.
The candidate, along with the rest of the 40 crew, be able to adapt to the needs of the time. On the San Juan ship there will be no showers or toilet paper or modern refrigeration and you will have to cook on deck with a wood fire or embers, old utensils such as grills, copper kettles and spits and serve meals with preserved ingredients.
The crew may carry traditional provisions such as dried legumes (peas, beans), garlic, onion, bacon, salt and hard crackers (ship cracker). Salted meat, sardines and dried cod will also be allowed, as well as whale blubber and oil for cooking or lighting. Fresh water will be strictly rationed for human consumption. Furthermore, it is planned to carry cider as a preventive measure against scurvya common practice among Basque whalers, in addition to txakoli and wine.
Meals that can be prepared include soups of dried legumes (for example, peas with garlic and onion), simple stews of salted meat with vegetables and grains or soaked biscuit bread or toastwith oil or fat.
In short, the selected chef must have not only culinary skills, but also an exploratory spirit and discipline to survive with the resources of the 16th century, contributing to rigorously recreate life aboard the San Juan.