OneCeylon
All questions

Traditional Sri Lankan outrigger canoe (Oruwa): jackwood dugout hull and outrigger hydrodynamic balance?

Seen by 1,290 travellers
Jump to the accepted answer
R
Rohan Oruwa•930 rep

How do artisanal coastal fishers carve monolithic Jackwood logs into hydrodynamic dugout hulls and lash bamboo outriggers (Kulla) to navigate heavy surf?

25

4 Answers from travellers

✓Accepted Answer

The traditional Sri Lankan outrigger fishing canoe (Oruwa) is an ancient naval design engineered to punch through heavy breaking shore surf. The main hull (Kanda) is hollowed from a single mature log of dense, rot-resistant Jackwood (Artocarpus heterophyllus) or Domba. Upper vertical washboards (Pedha) are hand-sewn onto the dugout rim using coir twine and sealed with natural dammar resin. Hydrodynamic lateral stability is provided by a buoyant solid timber float (Kulla) lashed 3 to 4 meters parallel to the hull via two arched, flexible timber booms (Kariyan). When sailing, the outrigger is kept strictly to windward, acting as a dynamic counterweight that prevents capsizing in gale gusts.

39
C
Capt Roshan Sea•1720 rep

Traditional sailing Oruwas carry a single trapezoidal or lateen cotton lugsail rigged on a bamboo mast, capable of sailing close to the wind when returning from tuna banks.

22
R
Rohan Oruwa•930 rep

Canoes landing on sandy beaches in Weligama and Negombo are hauled above high-water lines on rollers made from smooth coconut palm logs.

17
M
Minoli Heritage•1850 rep

Artisanal fishers use handlines deployed from Oruwas to catch Spanish mackerel and trevally along shallow inshore reef drop-offs at dawn.

14
S
Sarah Field Scout•1720 rep

You must be logged in to post an answer.

Log In to Answer

Related questions

Browse all questions