A dhoni (also written as thoni or dhoney) is a traditional multi-purpose sailvessel with a motor or lateen sails that is used in the Maldives, South India and Sri Lanka. [1] Varying in size and shape, they are used as fishing vessel, ferry, trading- and cargo ship.
The term dhoni derives from Sanskrit dróṇa, meaning "wooden trough". [2] Another theory presupposes a Dravidian (Tamil-Malayalam) origin, derived from the root word tull meaning "to dig" because the early traditional dhonis were made from a scooped or dug out single log. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Toni is mentioned in a Tamil inscription of about 1200/1256 CE from Krishnapattinam on the Andhra coast. [7] : 93–94
The traditional dhoni is one of the oldest known sea vessels in the Maldives. Many of these traditional sailing vessels were, of necessity, built using coconut palm timber. The sailing dhoni was used in earlier days by Maldivian fishermen. During the industrial revolution many fisherman changed to a mechanised dhoni.
The Tamil, Kannada and Konkani word for a small boat is doni and the Malayalam word for a small boat is tuoni, perhaps due to the tradelinks between Arabs and the Konkani people in Goa and other port cities in Konkan and Coastal South West India.[ citation needed ]
James Welsh, recounting his 40-year service in India, described doni:
The Doney, or Tony, of the Eastern coast, is a large awkward vessel, and carries very heavy cargoes, even to the ports on the western shore of the Peninsula. They have one mast, and a square sail, sometimes using a small topsail. They are reckoned sea-worthy; but have no accommodation for Europeans, and are generally very heavy sailers. [8]
Dhonis used to be built without plans. The master carpenter took measurements and gave instructions to the carpenters. [9] Contemporary dhonis are often built using fibreglass. Dhonis fitted with diesel engines are extensively used on resort islands for scuba diving purposes, their low freeboard being ideal for this activity.
The islands of the Maldives have an extensive fishing fleet of vessels built domestically, each of which carries eight to twelve persons. Nearly all of these are variants of the dhoni, a plank-built craft traditionally built with coconut timber, although imported wood from Southeast Asia is increasingly used. Originally sailing craft, nowadays these boats are usually fitted with motors. The main site for building dhonis is in Alifushi in Raa Atoll. Dhoni building is a traditional craft in the Maldives, and young apprentices are trained by skilled craftsmen. Boats crafted from timber take 60 days to complete.
Using a US$3.2 million loan from the International Development Association (IDA), most of the boats were mechanised during the 1980s. [10] Although the addition of motors added fuel costs to operating expenses, it resulted in a doubling of the fishing catch between 1982 and 1985. Moreover, the 1992 catch of 82,000 tons set a record; for example, in 1987 the catch was 56,900 tons. [10]
In 1995 there were 1674 registered fishing vessels in the Maldives. Of these, 1407 were motorised pole and line craft (masdhoni) for tuna fishing in coastal waters, five were sailing masdhoni, 48 were mechanised vadhudhoni, 209 were sailing vadhudhoni and 5 were rowboats used for trawling in reef waters. [11]
Malé is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 211,908 in 2022 within its administrative area and coterminous geographical area of 8.30 square kilometres (3.20 sq mi), Malé is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located in the southern edge of North Malé Atoll.
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schooner also has a square topsail on the foremast, to which may be added a topgallant. Differing definitions leave uncertain whether the addition of a fore course would make such a vessel a brigantine. Many schooners are gaff-rigged, but other examples include Bermuda rig and the staysail schooner.
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Typically sporting long thin hulls, dhows are trading vessels primarily used to carry heavy items, such as fruit, fresh water, or other heavy merchandise, along the coasts of Eastern Arabia, East Africa, Yemen and coastal South Asia. Larger dhows have crews of approximately thirty and smaller ones typically around twelve.
A lugger is a sailing vessel defined by its rig, using the lug sail on all of its one or more masts. Luggers were widely used as working craft, particularly off the coasts of France, England, Ireland and Scotland. Luggers varied extensively in size and design. Many were undecked, open boats, some of which operated from beach landings. Others were fully decked craft. Some larger examples might carry lug topsails.
The Banks dory, or Grand Banks dory, is a type of dory. They were used as traditional fishing boats from the 1850s on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. The Banks dory is a small, open, narrow, flat-bottomed and slab-sided boat with a particularly narrow transom. They were inexpensive to build and could be stacked or nested inside each other and stored on the decks of larger fishing vessels which functioned as mother ships.
Industries in the Maldives center around fishing and tourism, with some overlap between the two with recreational fishing.
Maroshi is one of the inhabited islands of the Shaviyani Atoll administrative division and geographically part of the Miladhummadulhu Atoll in the Maldives.
Noomaraa is one of the inhabited islands of the Shaviyani Atoll administrative division, and geographically part of the North Miladhummadulhu Atoll in the Maldives. The Island code is C2.
The culture of the Maldives is derived from a number of sources, the most important of which is its proximity to the shores of Sri Lanka and South India. The population is mainly Indo-Aryan from the anthropological point of view. Islam is considered the religion of the country and only Muslims can become legal citizens.
A bokkura is the smallest type of boat commonly used in Maldives. It has slight similarities to a dhoni, but is smaller in size, holding just two or three individuals, and without lateen sails. A bokkura usually has a set of oars, and was traditionally used for fishing near reefs or to commute between the shore and anchored fishing or trading vessels especially before there were any jetties on the Maldives.
The Maldivian Coast Guard is the naval or maritime arm of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). Because the Maldives does not have a navy, the MNDF Coast Guard functions as the armed maritime force of the nation with a charter to contribute to national defence and by and large to respond to issues related to the maritime security of the nation. Therefore, the Coast Guard is documented as the custodian of the Maldives Maritime Domain. Maritime security is a constituent ingredient of the national security in a maritime nation such as the Maldives and its significance is best understood when one perceives the island or the archipelagic nature of the country.
Marakkala is the modern colloquial term for Muslims, although Marakkalage is another uniquely Karava ancestral name and is also used by several traditional Karava families of Sri Lanka to date. Variant forms are: Maha Marakkalage,Arasa Marakkalage, AndraMarakkalage,Antinna Marakkalage,Kodi Marakkalage,Loku Marakkalage,Manna Marakkalage,Chandra Marakkalage and Marakkala Malimige.
A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals in the sea, lake or river. Humans have used different kinds of surface vessels in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing.
Maldivian mythology or Maldivian folklore is the body of myths, tales and anecdotes belonging to the oral tradition of Maldivians. Even though some of the Maldivian myths were already mentioned briefly by British commissioner in Ceylon HCP Bell towards the end of the 19th century, their study and publication were carried out only quite recently by Spanish writer and artist Xavier Romero-Frias, at a time when that ancestral worldview was quickly disappearing.
Maldives fish is cured tuna traditionally produced in Maldives. It is a staple of the Maldivian cuisine, Sri Lankan cuisine, and the cuisine of the Southern Indian states and territories of Lakshadweep, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and in the past it was one of the main exports from Maldives to Sri Lanka, where it is known as umbalakaḍa (උම්බලකඩ) in Sinhala and masikaruvadu in Tamil. It is also produced in small scale using traditional methods in Lakshadweep Islands in India. It is known as massmin in Lakshadweep.
The fishing industry in the Maldives is the island's second main industry. According to national tradition in the words of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, "Fishing is the lifeblood of our nation, it is inborn. From the soil on which we live, to the sea around us, it remains an integral part of our existence. Fishing, and our country and its people, [are] one and shall remain inseparable forever." The Maldives has an abundance of aquatic life and species of fish. Common are tuna, groupers, dolphin fish, barracuda, rainbow runner, trevally and squirrelfish and many more. Aside from being of essential importance to the economy, fishing is also a popular recreational activity in the Maldives, not only among locals but by tourists. The islands have numerous fishing resorts which cater for these activities.
Traditionally, many different kinds of boats have been used as fishing boats to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Even today, many traditional fishing boats are still in use. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), at the end of 2004, the world fishing fleet consisted of about 4 million vessels, of which 2.7 million were undecked (open) boats. While nearly all decked vessels were mechanised, only one-third of the undecked fishing boats were powered, usually with outboard engines. The remaining 1.8 million boats were traditional craft of various types, operated by sail and oars.
Maldivians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group and nation native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands, present day Republic of Maldives and the island of Minicoy in Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. Maldivians share one culture and speak the Maldivian language, which is a member of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages. For ethnographic and linguistic purposes as well as geopolitical reasons, anthropologists divide the Maldivian people into three subgroups.
Excelsior is an authentically restored fishing smack of the Lowestoft fishing fleet and a member of the National Historic Fleet. She was built by John Chambers of Lowestoft in 1921 and worked until 1936 before being converted into a motor coaster.
Royapuram fishing harbour, also known as Chennai fishing harbour or Kasimedu fishing harbour, is one of the major fishing grounds for catching fishes and crustaceans located at Kasimedu in the Royapuram area of Chennai, India. The harbour is located north of the Chennai Port and is under the administrative control of the Chennai Port Trust. The harbour is also a shipbuilding facility, chiefly building fishing boats. The nearest railway station is the Royapuram Railway Station.
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