The men, dressed in woollen pants and goatskin jackets pulled on the oars as the two canvas sails billowed in the breeze. The traditional 8-meter long Basque whaleboat, a chalupa, and its now well-muscled occupants had just completed a 3,500 km journey from Quebec City to Red Bay on Labrador’s south coast. This was not a new scene for Red Bay, Basque whalers operated here in the sixteenth century, hunting whales for their highly valued oil. This reconstructed chalupa was based on a similar vessel excavated from the frigid waters of Red Bay. Excavations began in 1978 and took 6 years, followed by meticulous recording, preservation and reassembly. The seven occupants were commemorating a part of their rich history, even though in the sixteenth century they never actually travelled from Quebec City; and even if
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