Launch of horse-drawn rescue boat

Launch of the "Abraham Fockes", the historic horse-drawn rescue boat on the beach of Ameland, The Netherlands as filmed on Dec 30, 2008.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Friesland
• Frisian
• Horse
• rescue
• beach
• Ameland
• launch
• boat

[polomarey]

Did they do that *every* time they needed to use the boat? (like, every day?) Or is the boat primarily kept at sea and this is a once and awhile kind of thing?

Great vid, btw.

[lytsejehannes]

@polomarey Thanks, it would have been everytime; horses were usually "volunteer" farm/work horses that would be recruited by tolling bells. The boat would also be in the village, stored in a shed somewhere.

[TheSpiritof1969]

@lytsejehannes

These days there is a lot of competition among coastal communities to become part of the lifeboat crew. I imagine it was no different back then, the main difference being that there were more people involved. This demonstration was done in ideal conditions but the reality of putting an eight team together and getting them to drag the boat into a stormy sea must have tested the skill and courage of the handlers.to the limit.

[bootsandsaddles]

Very well made video. I love watching it. It is super to see the horses working so well together. The people have a good system. Thanks for showing us.

[polomarey]

@lytsejehannes Very interesting! Thanks :)

[myprophet1]

I also love the simplicity of the harness, quite comfortable and allowing for complete freedom of movement!

[myprophet1]

what a fascinating use of horsepower, originally developed, I imagine, many hundreds of years ago. brilliant!

[milliesos]

waw that was brill

glad to see the horses are willing to do the work and not in any pain