Austronesian vessels

which began at about 3000 BC from Taiwan Austronesians used distinctive sailing technologies, namely the catamaran, the outrigger ship, tanja sail and the crab claw sail. This allowed them to colonize a large part of the Indo-Pacific region during the Austronesian expansion starting at around 3000 to 1500 BC, and ending with the colonization of Easter Island and New Zealand in the 10th to 13th centuries AD. Prior to the 16th century Colonial Era, Austronesians were the most widespread ethnolinguistic group, spanning half the planet from Easter Island in the eastern Pacific Ocean to Madagascar in the western Indian Ocean. They also established vast maritime trading networks, among which is the Neolithic precursor to what would become the Maritime Silk Road. The simplest form of all ancestral Austronesian boats had five parts. The bottom part consists of a single piece of hollowed-out log. At the sides were two planks, and two horseshoe-shaped wood pieces formed the prow and stern. These were fitted tightly together edge-to-edge by sewing or with dowels inserted into holes in between, and then lashed to each other with ropes (made from rattan or fibre) wrapped around protruding lugs on the planks. This characteristic and ancient Austronesian boatbuilding practice is known as the "lashed-lug" technique. They were commonly caulked with pastes made from various plants as well as tapa bark and fibres which would expand when wet, further tightening joints and making the hull watertight. They formed the shell of the boat, which was then reinforced by horizontal ribs. Shipwrecks of Austronesian ships can be identified from this construction, as well as the absence of metal nails. Austronesian ships traditionally had no central rudders but were instead steered using an oar on one side. They also independently developed various sail types during the Neolithic, beginning with the crab claw sail (more usually called the "oceanic lateen" or the "oceanic sprit") at around 1500 BCE. They are used throughout the range of the Austronesian Expansion, from Maritime Southeast Asia, to Micronesia, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar. Crab claw sails are rigged fore-and-aft and can be tilted and rotated relative to the wind. They evolved from V-shaped perpendicular square sails in which the two spars converge at the base of the hull. The simplest form of the crab claw sail (also with the widest distribution) is composed of a triangular sail supported by two light spars (sometimes erroneously called "sprits") on each side. They were originally mastless, and the entire assembly was taken down when the sails were lowered. == Hull and sail configurations ==

and tanja sails used by Javanese fishing boats () Austronesian rigs were used for double-canoe (catamaran), single-outrigger (on the windward side), or double-outrigger boat configurations, in addition to monohulls. Crab claw There are several distinct types of crab claw rigs, but unlike western rigs, they do not have fixed conventional names. technique on a single-outrigger double-ended kaep from Palau. The entire rig is moved to the other end of the boat, and the prow becomes the stern and vice versa The need to propel larger and more heavily laden boats led to the increase in vertical sail. However this introduced more instability to the vessels. In addition to the unique invention of outriggers to solve this, the sails were also leaned backwards and the converging point moved further forward on the hull. This new configuration required a loose "prop" in the middle of the hull to hold the spars up, as well as rope supports on the windward side. This allowed more sail area (and thus more power) while keeping the center of effort low and thus making the boats more stable. The prop was later converted into fixed or removable canted masts where the spars of the sails were actually suspended by a halyard from the masthead. This type of sail is most refined in Micronesian proas which could reach very high speeds. These configurations are sometimes known as the "crane sprit" or the "crane spritsail". Tanja The conversion of the prop to a fixed mast in the crab claw sail led to the much later invention of the tanja sail (also known variously and misleadingly as the canted square sail, canted rectangular sail, boomed lugsail, or balance lugsail). Tanja sails were rigged similarly to crab claw sails and also had spars on both the head and the foot of the sails; but they were square or rectangular with the spars not converging into a point. The masts have curved heads with grooves for attaching the halyards. The lower part of two of the bamboo poles of the mast assembly have holes that are fitted unto the ends of a cross-wise length of timber on the deck, functioning like a hinge. The forward part of the mast assembly had a forelock. By unlocking it, the mast can be lowered across the ship. The sail can be rotated around the mast (lessening the need for steering with the rudders) and tilted to move the center of pull forward or aft. The sail can even be tilted completely horizontally, becoming wing-like, to lift the bow above incoming waves. The sail is reefed by rolling it around the lower spar. In addition to the tanja sails, ships with the tanja rigs also have bowsprits set with a quadrilateral headsail, sometimes also canted as depicted in the Borobudur ships. In the colonial era, these were replaced by triangular western-style jibs (often several in later periods), and the tanja sails themselves were slowly replaced with western rigs like gaff rigs. ==List of Austronesian vessels by region==

of the Tao people of Taiwan The following is an incomplete list of traditional Austronesian vessels. Taiwan Orchid Island • Ipanitika • Tatara Island Southeast Asia padewakang from Indonesia from Halmahera, Maluku Islands, Indonesia (c. 1920) Brunei • Bajak • Bangkong • Gubang • Jong • Kakap • Penjajap • Tongkang Indonesia from Indonesia • Abak • Bagan • Bago • Bajak • Bangkong • Banting • Benawa • Borobudur ship • Cerucuh • Chialoup • Eloha • Fakatora • Ghali • Ghurab • Golekan • Janggolan • Jellore • Jong • Jongkong • Juanga • Jukung • Jukung tambangan • Kakap • Kalulis • Kelulus • Kolay • Kolekole • Knabat bogolu • Kora kora • Kotta mara • K'un-lun po • Lancang • Lancaran • Lepa • Lepa-Lepa • Leti leti • Lis-alis • Londe • Malangbang • Mayang • Orembai • Padewakang • Paduwang • Pajala • Paledang • Penjajap • Pangkur • Patorani • Pelang • Pencalang • Perahu • Pinisi (Lambo, Palari) • Sampan panjang • Sandeq • Sarua • Sekong • Solu • Teneh • Tongkang • Toop Malaysia • Bajak • Bangkong • Banting • Bedar • Buggoh • Birau • Cerucuh • Ghali • Ghurab • Jong • Juanga • Kakap • Kolek • Lancang • Lancaran • Lepa • Pelang • Pencalang • Penjajap • Perahu payang • Perahu tambangan • Pinas • Sampan panjang • Tongkang Philippines in Boracay, Philippines lanong warship from the Philippines • Armadahan • Avang • Awang • Balación • Balangay (Barangay) • Baloto • Bangka • Bangka anak-anak • Basnigan • Batil • Bigiw • Bilo • Birau • Biray • Biroko (Birok, Bidok) • Buggoh • Casco • Chinarem • Chinedkeran • Dinahit • Djenging (Balutu) • Falua • Garay • Guilalo • Juanga • Junkun • Junkung • Karakoa • Kulibo • Lanong • Lapis • Lepa (Kumpit, Pidlas) • Ontang • Owong • Panineman • Pasaplap • Pangayaw • Paraw • Salambaw • Salisipan • Sapyaw • Seberen • Tapake • Tataya • Tempel • Tilimbao (Tinimbao) • Tiririt (Buti) • Vinta (Dapang, Pilang) Singapore • Sampan panjang • Tongkang Micronesia from Yap, Caroline Islands Caroline Islands • Wa • Wahr • Waserak Kiribati • Baurua Marshall Islands • Korkor • Tipnol • Walap Mariana Islands, incl. Guam • Ladjak • Sakman (Flying proa) Palau • Kaep • Wa Yap • Chugpin • Popow • Wa Island Melanesia of the Motu people of Papua New Guinea of Tonga Fiji • Camakau • Drua (Wangga tabu) • Takia Papua New Guinea • Lakatoi Solomon Islands • Tepukei Vanuatu • Aka • Angga • Wangga Polynesia an camakau (1846) '', a waka hourua from Hawaii Cook Islands • Vaka • Vaka katea Hawaii • Malia • Wa'a • Wa'a kaulua Marquesas • Vaka touua New Zealand • Waka ama • Waka hourua Samoa • Alia • Amatasi • Laau • Lualua (Foulua) • Paopao • Vaa • Vaa-alo • Vaa-tele Society Islands • Ivahah • Pahi • Tipairua • Vaa Tonga • Hamatafua • Kalia • Pōpao • Tongiaki Tuvalu • Paopao Madagascar from Madagascar • Lakana == See also ==