Model, of dug-out river boat

This model is of a dugout wooden river boat. It is typical of the native boats used in the Menam Kwang River in Thailand.

The bundles of bamboo lashed to the sides of the boat give additional stability. The model has a leaf and cane deckhouse amidships and a raised platform for the steersman at the stern.

The shape of the simplest hull - the dug-out boat - reflects the log from which it is made. Built-up hulls, frames covered with animal skins or wooden planks, are shaped for different purposes; long and narrow for speed, short and deep for cargo, wide and shallow for coastal waters. Sharp bows cut through the water, flared bows lift over the waves and double-ended boats guard against following waves.

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