Lepa-lepa (dugout canoe)

Last updated
A lepa-lepa race in Pambusuang, 2016. Lepa-lepa race Pambusuang.jpg
A lepa-lepa race in Pambusuang, 2016.

Lepa-lepa is a traditional canoe from the eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago. They are short range coastal fishing craft, but they can also be used for inter island voyages. The routes they took, among others are between Seram and Ambon-Lease, Geser island and Seram Laut, within Banda and Kei group of islands. [1] They are already existed since at least 1500 A.D. [2]

Contents

Description

Motorized lepa-lepa with double outrigger. Lepa-lepa motorized.jpg
Motorized lepa-lepa with double outrigger.

Traditional lepa-lepa canoe is made from single piece of hollowed wood (dugout base). The wood can be of various sizes. They can be used with or without a sail, [1] as they can be propelled with paddles (called wosa in native language) and quant poles (doan). [1] [3] Some of them may be equipped with double outrigger. Lepa-lepa may be enlarged by adding additional planks to its sides. A boat that has been added with a kalulis prow is called lepa-lepa kalulis . The sails used are from nade , gaff, and tanja types. After 1980s lepa-lepa began to be modernized by adding outboard motor. [1] Modern lepa-lepa is made by fiberglass. [4] A lepa-lepa may be 3.4–9.3 m long, with 40–80 cm width, and depth of 30–55 cm. [3]

Role

Lepa-lepa is mainly used for fishing. They are also used for transporting, such as transporting trading products (sago, fish, green vegetables), and people. Lepa-lepa is suitable for maneuvering through narrow shallow channel using combination of quant poles and paddles. In the present however, it is not considered appropriate to sail or paddle for long distances using them, and motorized lepa-lepa are more often used. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boat</span> Vessel for transport by water

A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayak</span> Light boat that is paddled

A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word qajaq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canoe</span> Light boat that is paddled

A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oar</span> Implement used for water-borne propulsion

An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. Rowers grasp the oar at the other end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Setting pole</span>

A setting pole or quant is a pole, handled by a crew member, to move boats, barges or punts by pushing the craft in the desired direction. The pole is used to push against the river or sea bed or, in some cases, the bank of the river. If used from the stern of the craft, the action is usually called "punting." Especially on larger vessels, it is more effective if the operator starts at the bow and walks aft along a side deck, pushing against the bottom all the way – this action is called "quanting" or "setting". If there is a short stretch where the water is too deep for the pole to reach the bottom, the pole can be used as a paddle. Whilst this is substantially less effective than a bladed oar or paddle, it is sufficient to keep the boat moving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dugout canoe</span> Boat made from a hollowed tree

A dugout canoe or simply dugout is a boat made from a hollowed-out tree. Other names for this type of boat are logboat and monoxylon. Monoxylon (μονόξυλον) is Greek – mono- (single) + ξύλον xylon (tree) – and is mostly used in classic Greek texts. In German, they are called Einbaum. Some, but not all, pirogues are also constructed in this manner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outrigger boat</span> Boat with one or more lateral support floats

Outrigger boats are various watercraft featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull. They can range from small dugout canoes to large plank-built vessels. Outrigger boats can also vary in their configuration, from the ancestral double-hull configuration (catamarans), to single-outrigger vessels prevalent in the Pacific Islands and Madagascar, to the double-outrigger vessels (trimarans) prevalent in Island Southeast Asia. They are traditionally fitted with Austronesian sails, like the crab claw sails and tanja sails, but in modern times are often fitted with petrol engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waka (canoe)</span> Māori watercraft, usually canoes

Waka are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes used for fishing and river travel to large, decorated war canoes up to 40 metres (130 ft) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinta</span> Traditional outrigger boat from the Philippine island of Mindanao

The vinta is a traditional outrigger boat from the Philippine island of Mindanao. The boats are made by Sama-Bajau, Tausug and Yakan peoples living in the Sulu Archipelago, Zamboanga peninsula, and southern Mindanao. Vinta are characterized by their colorful rectangular lug sails (bukay) and bifurcated prows and sterns, which resemble the gaping mouth of a crocodile. Vinta are used as fishing vessels, cargo ships, and houseboats. Smaller undecorated versions of the vinta used for fishing are known as tondaan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kora kora</span> Traditional Indonesian canoe

A kora-kora or kora kora or coracora is a traditional canoe from the Maluku (Moluccas) Islands, Indonesia. They are naval boat for carrying men on raids for plunder or for slaves. In Maritime Southeast Asia, raiding for slaves was an honourable way of making a living, and the kora kora was needed for defence against raids as well as for forays. Large kora-kora is called juanga or joanga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditional fishing boat</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camakau</span> Traditional Fijian watercraft

Camakau are a traditional watercraft of Fiji. Part of the broader Austronesian tradition, they are similar to catamarans, outrigger canoes, or smaller versions of the drua, but are larger than a takia. These vessels were built primarily for the purposes of travelling between islands and for trade. These canoes are single hulled, with an outrigger and a cama, a float, with both ends of the hull being symmetrical. They were very large, capable of travelling open ocean, and have been recorded as being up to 70 ft in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karakoa</span> Type of warship from the Philippines

Karakoa were large outrigger warships from the Philippines. They were used by native Filipinos, notably the Kapampangans and the Visayans, during seasonal sea raids. Karakoa were distinct from other traditional Philippine sailing vessels in that they were equipped with platforms for transporting warriors and for fighting at sea. During peacetime, they were also used as trading ships. Large karakoa, which could carry hundreds of rowers and warriors, were known as joangas by the Spanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lepa (ship)</span> Boats of the Southeast Asian Sama-Bajau people

Lepa, also known as lipa or lepa-lepa, are indigenous ships of the Sama-Bajau people in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. They were traditionally used as houseboats by the seagoing Sama Dilaut. Since most Sama have abandoned exclusive sea-living, modern lepa are instead used as fishing boats and cargo vessels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangka (boat)</span> Traditional Filipino watercraft with outriggers

Bangka are various native watercraft of the Philippines. It originally referred to small double-outrigger dugout canoes used in rivers and shallow coastal waters, but since the 18th century, it has expanded to include larger lashed-lug ships, with or without outriggers. Though the term used is the same throughout the Philippines, "bangka" can refer to a very diverse range of boats specific to different regions. Bangka was also spelled as banca, panca, or panga in Spanish. It is also known archaically as sakayan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paopao (canoe)</span>

A paopao, is the name used by the Polynesian-speaking inhabitants of the Ellice Islands for their single-outrigger canoes, of which the largest could carry four to six adults. The large double-hulled sailing canoes had ceased to be constructed in the Ellice Islands some time before contact with Europeans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orembai</span> Type of boat from the Maluku Islands of Indonesia

Orembai or Arombai is a type of plank boat from the Maluku Islands of Eastern Indonesia. It is mainly used for fishing and transport. This vessel is used as far as Batavia, where in the 17th century it became popular to go out "orembaaien" on an evening rowing on the river or city canals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalulis</span> Keelless boat from East Indonesia

Kalulis is a type of traditional boat from eastern Indonesia. It is mainly built in Kei islands, Southeast direction from Seram. It is mainly used for interinsular transport, but they are unsuitable for long haul voyages between Moluccas, Sulawesi, and Java. It is also known as perahu kalulis, ang kalulis, kalulus, and kulis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perahu payang</span>

Perahu payang or simply payang is a traditional Malay open fishing boat. They are usually found in Terengganu, and to a lesser extent, Kelantan, Pahang, and Johor coasts. A few examples normally come down to Singapore to operate during the period of the north-east monsoon in the South China Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jukung tambangan</span>

Jukung tambangan is a traditional boat made by the Banjar people of South Kalimantan. They are mainly used for riverine transportation. It is already present at least since mid-18th century. They were not seen anymore in Banjarmasin ca. 1950s and around the 1970s on the Nagara River, Hulu Sungai Selatan Regency.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Ellen (2003). p. 156.
  2. Ellen (2003). p. 150.
  3. 1 2 Ellen (2003). p. 154.
  4. "Perahu Lepa Lepa". www.antarafoto.com. Retrieved 2020-01-22.

Further reading