Preview: Cambodian Canoes, Part 4: And Now, Just for Fun, Some Odd-Balls!

This is part 2 of a series of articles serving as extensions of Ken’s wonderful book Classic Wooden Fishing Boats of the Vietnamese Coast, now available as an eBook in our Library.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

It probably isn’t fair to call them odd-balls, I suspect they might be the most common watercraft on the river, taken altogether. You see something of this sort anywhere you come to the river above Phnom Penh.

This isn’t strictly “typical” (nothing is among these boats!), but it gives you a good idea. There are actually two boats here side by side, but don’t let that bother you, just enjoy the show. Most unusual no doubt is the “fixed” longtail outboard arrangement. Operating through a slot in the stern, it can be raisd and lowered by the long blue lever projecting out aft. It doesn’t steer by swinging the motor like most longtails, this one has a rudder hung outboard of the prop way out aft though all you can see is the pair of rudder lines and the steering crossbar. As an alternative, a lot of these boats have their rudder hung more or less under the stern, way ahead of the propeller, not the most convenient arrangement for maneuvering!

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