GLOBOAT - A Public Database & Platform for the Study of World Wooden Sailing Crafts - Zefeng You

GLOBOAT - A Public Database & Platform for the Study of World Wooden Sailing Crafts - Zefeng You

Humanities, Social Sciences & Thought Hobbies & Practical WLifestyle, Hobbies and LeisureWGGBBoats
🎙 Zefeng You 👥 73 📅 November 28, 2022 ⏱ 17 min 👁 93 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-10-09
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

GLOBOATwooden sailing craftsmaritime museumpublic databaseNingbo

Summary

Zefeng You, director of the Sailing For More Maritime Museum in Ningbo, China, presents the GLOBOAT project at the ICMM Congress 2022. He begins by introducing his museum, established in 2008, focusing on local maritime history, and later launching a new museum dedicated to global small wooden craft. The collection includes 156 wooden boats from 51 countries, many originating from the former Extra Maritime Museum in England. Challenges include lack of expertise in Western boat types and language barriers. To address this, GLOBOAT aims to create a public, shared database of small wooden sailing crafts, offering comprehensive records including 3D laser scans, historical plans, and related documents. The project has three core areas: research, interaction, and sharing. He demonstrates an example with the boat ‘Junking 2’, showing its acquisition history and feedback. He invites museums and individuals to participate and concludes with a quote from Martin Luther King. The presentation highlights the importance of open access and collaboration in maritime heritage preservation.

162 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The value of this presentation lies in the introduction of a pioneering open database dedicated to small wooden sailing crafts, which is not only a resource for researchers but also for public engagement. The argumentation is solid, based on the presenter’s direct experience and clear identification of gaps in current databases. He effectively argues for the need for a comprehensive, interoperable platform by pointing out limitations of existing collections-focused databases and the potential for collaborative knowledge sharing.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The presentation is rigorous in its factual claims about the museum’s collection and activities, presented in a clear and organized manner. However, no direct scholarly sources are cited, and the content relies on the presenter’s authority. The title accurately describes the content, and the structure follows a logical flow from background to project details. There is no mention of external documentation, but the proposal is rooted in professional practice.

161 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on introducing the GLOBOAT database project.

Quality & Reliability

7/10

Presentation by the museum director about his own project, based on first-hand experience and institutional knowledge. No external sources cited, but the information is reliable within its scope.

Key Moments

Contribution & Novelties

The main contribution is the proposal for an open, collaborative database specifically for small wooden sailing crafts, which fills a gap in existing maritime heritage databases. The project incorporates 3D scans and multi-language input, addressing common research limitations. This initiative could serve as a model for similar cultural heritage projects.

Pour aller plus loin :

  • Wooden boat — Background on traditional wooden boat construction.
  • Maritime museum — Overview of maritime museums and their missions.
  • Open access — Principles of open access that underpin the GLOBOAT database concept.

87 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile shows moderate scores with relatively high quantity and reliability, and lower quality and technical levels. This reflects a presentation that is informative and trustworthy but not deeply technical or rigorously documented, aligning with an expert opinion at a professional congress.

Reliability 7/10