SURFBOAT - DHOW - JUNK - SAMPAN and WALLAM

[aukepalmhof]

For the 28th International Congress of Orientalists, Australia used three stamps in 1971, of which the 20c stamp depicts watercraft used in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

From the left to the right on top:
DHOW: Collective term of English-speaking peoples for the Arab-built and Arab-manned lateen-rigged vessels that have sailed the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf for centuries. The French use the word “boutre”, the Arab word is “markab” although this is a broader term that includes small boats and modern ships. In the Persian Gulf area, the term “gharib” is used in official documents while the sailors use “lashãb”. Most dhows are cargo vessels, although some were used for war and piracy, while many were active in slave trading. In general dhows have long overhanging bows, raking transoms stern, and often high poops. The larger oceangoing were generally 2-masted, the coasters single-masted (as seen on stamp). All set a quadrilateral lateen sail-type sail with a short luff. Most now completely motorized.
Source: Aak to Zumbra a dictionary of the World’s watercraft.

JUNK: A term of broad or narrow meaning, depending on one’s depth of experience with native craft, ranging from “odd as a Chinese junk” and “sailing vessels of Oriental build” to “if a craft is large enough to carry a water buffalo standing athwartships, it is clearly a junk. If the animal must assume some other position, or perhaps cannot even make the voyage, the vessel is a “sampan”. Officially in China. A junk or min chuan (commonner’s boat) refers to privately owned sailing, or rowing craft, as opposed to a motorized vessel; government-owned junks are called guan chuan (kuan chuan). The term can be broadly applied to native sailing vessels of the Far East; Chinese junks going to Japan and Southeast Asia were commonly called “sommes” or “sommas”. Usually have a high poop, no keel, high sheer, bulkheaded hull; large bladed retractable, mid-line rudder or quarter rudders; and sets 2-5 battened lugsails to raking, unstayed pole masts. May be oceangoing or river craft and have served as traders, fishing vessels, man-of-war, and pirate craft.
The type junk is known in the Far East under various other names.

Source: Aak to Zumbra a dictionary of the World’s watercraft.

Australia is represented in the center panel by a surf boat. These boats are used by life-saving clubs for mass rescues in the ocean waters off the Australian coast. The first surf boats were broad-beam clinker types about 20 feet long and built of kauri and later maple or cedar. Today, the tuck-stern craft are constructed of moulded plywood; light enough to be carried by its five-man crew, but robust enough to withstand the pounding of the surf. The length of the modern surf boats has been extended to 25 feet. Steering is by a 20 feet oregon oar through a closed rowlock bolted to the sternpost. The oars of the four rowers are approximately 14 feet in length and the boat is equipped with a life-saving belt attached to 200 yards of line.

Aak to Zumbra gives:
Primarily a coastal rescue boat built under design rules presented by the Australian Surf Life Saving Association. Since early in the 20th century, the local clubs have been highly competitive, resulting in considerable design modification. Early so-called “banana boats” were sharp-ended with strongly curved stem and sternpost, bottom rocker, strong sheer. Decked at ends with flotation tanks. Later boats have a very narrow transom stern; maximum beam in forward third. A bar across the gunwales helps stabilize the helmsman, who works a long sweep. Carvel-built with high narrow planking; now being developed with synthetic materials.
The crew of 5 usually, 4 rowing single-banked plus a helmsman. Length to 8m.

The lower part from the left an “wallam” from India southwest a term used along the coastal backwaters and rivers of the Malabar Coast for a locally produced dugout canoe. Manny exported to the Persian (Arabian) Gulf countries and to East Africa (known there as belem and houri). Used for line fishing and transporting passengers and local produce. Similar sharp, recurved ends, often distinctive carved sides parallel; pseudo-ribs left when hull excavated; round bottom. Arched mat house or houses of bamboo and cadjan thatch on the larger boats; some can sleep 6 – 10 persons. Poled, rowed, or sets a spritsail.
Those used in open waters may set a lateen-type sail.
Reported range from 5.5m long, 1.07 m wide, 0.62m deep to 13m long by 1.14m wide.
Source: Aak to Zumbra a dictionary of the World's Watercraft.

The last on the bottom right is a “sampan”
She is depicted on many stamps, a loose term used in east and southeast Asia to designate various small harbours and local coastal craft. Term now often used for small, Chinese-built boats, but early travelers applied the word and its variant forms more widely even too much larger vessels.

Source: Aak to Zumbra a dictionary of the World's Watercraft.

Australia 1971 20c sg485, Scott 495