Boat Construction Research Articles

Navigating the Treacherous Academic Sea to Tenure

Navigating the Treacherous Academic Sea to Tenure

In Response to Pedersen's ‘A Clench-Fastened Boat in Kerala’: a revealing boat narrative not a ‘new’ type of boat

This article discusses Pedersen’s interpretation of a boat observed in the backwaters of Kerala, south-western India in May 2003 as a previously undocumented vessel-type: a clench-fastened boat (2010). It argues that the boat he describes is not a new boat type but suggests instead that it reflects the flexibility and pragmatism of boat-building and repair in Kerala’s backwaters, where a plurality of fastening techniques and methods of construction are regularly employed in the construction of individual boats. The paper suggests the boat is a product of the dynamism, continued strength and adaptability, of Kerala’s ‘traditional’ backwater boat-building industry. In addition, it highlights some of the pitfalls of interpreting boats through construction features alone.

A Comunidade Piscatória de Câmara de Lobos: Matemática ou Matemáticas? Etnomatemática ou (Etno)matemática?

Câmara de Lobos is a poor village of the Autonomous Region of Madeira where is a fishing community with their own usages with weak school results. In this article we attempt to identify knowledge and processes used in the construction of boats in the fishing community of Câmara de Lobos and discuss them in respect to what elementary school mathematics is, looking for connections that may in the future be available to be utilized in the classroom.

The Traditional Boats of Vietnam, an Overview

This paper addresses the material boat culture of Vietnam both in its current context and more specifically through an assessment of how the boats of Vietnam have been studied in the past. It presents a comprehensive summary of past publications describing the construction, use and variety of boats in the region, from the earliest volumes to modern research projects, including the work of the US military. It highlights the rich diversity of construction approaches and boat-types that are still built and used, and demonstrates the need for further field research to record the fast-disappearing traditional boats of Vietnam. © 2010 The Authors

From River to Sea: Evidence for Egyptian Seafaring Ships

Questions over when and how the ancient Egyptians went to sea continue to engage scholars in debate. Recent excavations of ship timbers at a pharaonic harbor on the Red Sea provide direct evidence for technological approaches that affirm Egypt’s idiosyncratic patterns of ship and boat construction (as familiar from Nile riverboats, which provide the largest and most ancient assemblage of watercraft before the classical period). This technological patterning illustrates comparable antiquity to other artisanal products of the upper hierarchies of the state. Reconstruction of a twenty-meter vessel—based on archaeological evidence from seagoing timbers, representations, models, and river hulls—resulted in an efficient and effective sailing ship.

Occupational asthma due to exposure to chengal wood dust

Chengal is a resistant rainforest hardwood that is commonly used in South-East Asia for the construction of boats, bridges, house structures and furniture. It contains oligostilbenoids, phenolics, quinones and resins. To describe a case of occupational asthma (OA) related to chengal wood dust. The patient was evaluated clinically for asthma in relation to occupational history, serial peak flow monitoring and specific inhalation challenge (SIC) test. Peak flow monitoring showed significant deterioration during exposure to chengal wood dust at work. SIC test resulted in an isolated immediate asthmatic reaction. Exposure to chengal wood dust can lead to OA and possibly rhinitis. The underlying mechanism should be investigated.

Effect of cathodic polarisation on pitting corrosion of AA5083-H321 aluminium–magnesium alloy in stagnant 3·5% NaCl solution

Aluminium–magnesium alloy AA5083-H321 is a suitable material for construction of high speed boats, submarines, desalination systems etc. Cathodic protection is the proposed method for protection against its pitting corrosion. In this research, cathodic polarisation of this alloy has been studied in stationary 3·5% sodium chloride solution at –0·9, –1, –1·1 and –1·2 V(SCE). The electrochemical behaviour of the surface was investigated with EIS and DC methods. Morphological changes on the surface and cross-section of the samples were studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and EDAX analyser. The results showed that the fraction of the surface covered by pits, increases with applying more negative potentials. More alkaline electrolyte inside the pits on the surface tends to show non-ideal behaviour for capacitance inside the oxide layer and for oxide layer/solution interface. This behaviour is intensified with increasing of negative potential by deepening of pits during cathodic polarisation of the alloy. The final result is that cathodic protection of this alloy immersed in stationary conditions is impossible.

On Linguistics and Cascading Inventions: A Comment on Arnold's Dismissal of a Polynesian Contact Event in Southern California

In her recent article, "Credit Where Credit is Due: The History of the Chumash Oceangoing Plank Canoes," Jeanne Arnold questions our 2005 paper in which we suggested that a prehistoric contact event with Polynesians resulted in conveyance of the sewn-plank boat construction technique and a particular style of compound bone fishhook to the Chumash and Gabrielino of southern California. We agree with many of Arnold's views about the cascading effects of sewn-plank boat construction on Native societies of southern California, but question her dismissal of certain aspects of the empirical record, particularly the linguistics, in portraying this invention as strictly autochthonous. Here we recast aspects of the linguistic evidence that Arnold overlooks, provide evidence from oral history which she says is lacking, and discuss chronological issues that are much less straightforward than she suggests. We also mention implications of recent findings from South America. Finally, we submit that we have not discredited the Chumash or any other Native society in developing this hypothesis.

Seawater ageing of low styrene emission resins for marine composites: Mechanical behaviour and nano-indentation studies

Polyester resins are widely employed for pleasure boat construction. In order to satisfy new environmental legislation on styrene emissions resin suppliers have proposed modified formulations, but these show lower failure strains under tensile loading. This paper examines the influence of wet ageing on mechanical properties of low styrene polyester, together with standard polyester and vinyl ester resins, and their glass reinforced composites. Results are presented from accelerated ageing in natural sea water for nine months, at temperatures of 20, 40 and 60 °C. Nano-indentation was used to study local changes in the resin after ageing. The diffusion kinetics of the low styrene emission resins and their composites are similar to those for standard polyester resins. The low styrene resins appear to lose strength more slowly than the standard resins but after nine months in seawater at 40 °C similar property losses are noted.

Exposure to Lead of Boatyard Workers in Southern Thailand

Lead oxide is used extensively in the construction and repair of wooden boats in Thailand, but the behaviors of boatyard workers that could place them at risk of contamination have not previously been documented. Baseline data on practices and behaviors of boatyard workers and on the level of worker and workplace contamination with lead were therefore collected. Fifty workers in two boatyards participated in this study. Lead exposure of workers was assessed by determining airborne and blood lead levels. A questionnaire was administered to collect information on work history, suspected exogenous lead sources, personal behavior and knowledge about lead. Evidence obtained by the study indicated that safety behavior and personal hygiene were poor--workers used no mask, gloves or hood, wore open sandals, smoked, drank, chewed and ate during work and did not wash their hands before drinking or eating. Some workers had lunch in the working area. The mean personal airborne lead of caulkers (36.4 microg/m3) was higher than that of carpenters (8.3 microg/m3). Forty-eight percent of all workers and 67% of caulkers had a blood lead level (BLL) exceeding 40 microg/dl. Multiple linear regression indicated that blood lead levels of workers were significantly related to job and education level, with significant differences between boatyards. In addition, the potential for "take-home" contamination was high; none of the workers took a shower or changed their clothes prior to going home. These results indicate a problem of lead exposure of sufficient magnitude to be a public health concern.

Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Colonization on Early Growth and Nutrient Content of Two Peat¬ Swamp Forest Tree Species Seedlings, Calophyllum hosei and Ploiarium alternifolium

Tropical peat-swamp forests are one of the largest near-surface reserves of terrestrial organic carbon, but rnany peat-swamp forest tree species decreased due over-exploitation, forest fire and conversion of natural forests into agricultural lands. Among those species are slow-growing Ca lophyllum hosei and Ploiarium alternifolium , two species are good for construction of boats, furniture, house building and considerable attention from pharmacological viewpoint for human healthly. This study was aimed at understanding the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on early growth of C. h os e i and P . alternifolium under greenhouse condition. Seedlings of C. h osei and P . alternifolium were inoculated with AM fungi: G lomus cl a rum and Glomus aggregatum , or uninoculated under greenhouse condition during 6 months. AM colonization, plant growth, survival rate and nutrient content (P, Zn and B) were measured. The percentage of C. h o s e i and P . alternifolium ranged from 27-32% and 18-19%, respectively. Both inoculated seedling species had greater plant height, diameter, leaf number, shoot and root dry weight than control seedlings. Nutrient content of inoculated plants were increased with AM colonization- Survival rates of inoculated plants were higher (100%) than those of control plants (67%). The results suggested that inoculation of AM fungi could improve the early growth of C. h os e i and P . alternifolium grown in tropical peat-swamp forest therefore this finding has greater potential impact if this innovative technology applied in field scales which are socially acceptable, commercially profitable and environmentally friendly.

Bateau Fait À La Main : Public Boat Building and Waterborne Tourism in Louisiana

A trend toward waterborne cultural and eco-tourism is developing in Louisiana. This article reports upon a project in 2003-2004 that produced a traditional boat for service as a touring vessel on the Bayou Vermilion, in the vicinity of Lafayette. The decision to build an authentic traditional boat for tours on the Bayou Vermilion was motivated, in part, by a desire to help conserve local folk traditions. From pirogues to oyster schooners, boats have long figured prominently in the lives of residents of coastal, wetland, and riverine Louisiana. As a folk craft based in wood carpentry, Louisiana boat building supported many commercial and recreational activities over the years, but wooden boat production declined during the second half of the twentieth century. Today, few artisans acquire the skills to master wooden boat construction; thus, a symbol of traditional Louisiana life is endangered.

Diffusionism Reconsidered: Linguistic and Archaeological Evidence for Prehistoric Polynesian Contact with Southern California

While the prevailing theoretical orthodoxy of North American archaeology overwhelmingly discourages consideration of transoceanic cultural diffusion, linguistic and archaeological evidence appear to indicate at least one instance of direct cultural contact between Polynesia and southern California during the prehistoric era. Three words used to refer to boats - including the distinctive sewn-plank canoe used by Chumashan and Gabrielino speakers of the southern California coast - are odd by the phonotactic and morphological standards of their languages and appear to correlate with Proto-Central Eastern Polynesian terms associated with woodworking and canoe construction. Chumashan and Gabrielino speakers seem to have borrowed this complex of words along with the sewn-plank construction technique itself sometime between ca. A.D. 400 and 800, at which time there is also evidence for punctuated adaptive change (e.g., increased exploitation of pelagic fish) and appearance of a Polynesian style two-piece bone fishhook in the Santa Barbara Channel. These developments were coeval with a period of major exploratory seafaring by the Polynesians that resulted in the discovery and settlement of Hawaii - the nearest Polynesian outpost to southern California. Archaeological and ethnographic information from the Pacific indicates that the Polynesians had the capabilities of navigation, boat construction, and sailing, as well as the cultural incentives to complete a one-way passage from Hawaii to the mainland of southern California. These findings suggest that diffusion and other forms of historical contingency still need to be considered in constructions of North American prehistory.

A high pressure bursting strength tester for coated industrial fabrics

PurposeThe design and construction of a high‐pressure bursting strength tester is described.Design/methodology/approachThe tester has a large aperture and is intended to operate with coated industrial fabrics. To ensure safe operation, since the tester is capable of operating up to pressures of 5,000 kPa, water is used as the inflation medium and all tests are conducted under water. The tester is designed to operate on both flat specimens and cylindrical specimens.FindingsSample results are reported to demonstrate the successful operation of the tester on plain specimens and on specimens with welded and taped seams. The tester has demonstrated that it is capable of yielding reproducible and useful results on coated industrial fabrics of the type used to manufacture inflatable boats.Practical implicationsThe low‐cost, high pressure bursting strength tester can be used for lightweight, coated industrial fabrics of the type commonly used in the construction of inflatable boats and liferafts.Originality/valueThe tester was developed to support a programme of work to develop a lightweight, collapsible decompression chamber. Although the parameters of the tester were chosen to meet the needs of the decompression chamber project, the tester has wider application and may, therefore, be of wider interest.

The social context of seafaring in the Bronze Age revisited

The social archaeology of Bronze Age seafaring was the subject of a recent paper published within World Archaeology (Van de Noort 2004). The landscape contexts of the various boat remains from two sites within the Humber estuary, eastern England, were examined and it was argued that different areas of the landscape provided focuses for ritualized and non-ritualized social activity. In this paper we re-consider this view, arguing for a broader consideration of boatbuilding and seafaring that reflects a symbiotic relationship between ritual and practical behaviour at the two sites. On one level, the process of boat construction, mending and possibly ferrying at North Ferriby may be considered from a 'ritualized' context despite lacking monumental architecture. At another, the earlier landscape monuments at Kilnsea may be considered as serving a practical function in terms of navigation and pilotage, in addition to more ritualized activities associated with the arriving, departing and the many dangers associated with seafaring.

The ‘Batteaux Plats’ of New France

The batteau plat is a type of flat-bottomed craft well known in North America for its crucial role in the colonial wars between New France and New England in the 17th and 18th centuries. The discovery of four such craft in the harbour of Quebec City offered the first occasion to understand the construction and use of these boats. This article provides a description of the construction and uses of this boat-type and suggests two reasons why a batteau plat industry arose and developed to such an extent in New France, namely, that the boat's design and construction were inherently efficient and that state policies were favourably oriented toward maritime industries, including boat construction. © 2004 The Nautical Archaeology Society

Swedish Credit Security Law: A Case for Law Reform?

3 Some Comments Concerning the Content 219 3.1 Stoppage in Transit 220 3.2 Retention of Title 220 3.3 Property Right to a Sum of Money held in Trust by an Intermediary 221 3.4 Commission Agency Goods and Consignment of Goods ...... 221 3.5 Security Transfer with or without a Change of Possession .... 222 3.6 Leasing, Factoring and Securitization 223 3.7 The Repurchase Agreement 223 3.8 The Marking of Timber without Change of Possession ....... 223 3.9 Boat Construction Advance Payment 223 3.10 Real Property Mortgage, Shipping Mortgage and Business (Floating) Charge 224 3.11 Aircraft Mortgages 225 3,12 Pledge over Patents and Trade Marks 225 3.13 Possessory Pledges over Personal Property 225 3.14 Liens 226 3.15 Set-off, Clearing and Netting 226

Time Travels in Whaling Boats

Reading this article is to embark on an adventure through certain ethnographic and archaeological texts about a specific form of boat construction. The voyage sets out from the village of Lamalera in Eastern Indonesia where whaling boats continue to be built according to traditions passed on by the ancestors. However, while researchers write about boats, they simultaneously board the boats in order to construct the sequence of their narratives. Whether they journey back through the eastern archipelagos in search of the origin of a boat's design; or follow the plank by plank construction sequence; or whether they find a leak in previous boat building discourse - all are involved in intricate relations of becoming through the materiality of the very boats they desire to observe and describe. Narratives are premised on unquestioned notions of linear time and travel. In this article, however, readers find themselves carried along on a different voyage, where time and travel are always in the here and now.

Conifer tar on the keel and hull planking of the Ma'agan Mikhael Ship (Israel, 5th century BC): identification and comparison with natural products and artefacts employed in boat construction

The Ma'agan Mikhael shipwreck was discovered in 1985 in shallow waters of the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The ship was dated to 500 BC. Resin-like organic matter, which was applied to the ship's timbers was analysed for biomarkers (terpenoids in particular) by various organo-geochemical techniques, such as MPLC, GC and GC–MS. For comparison, samples of recent conifer resins as well as tars from other ancient boats from Marseille, Chalon-sur-Saône and a 16th century ship from France, were analysed. The results show that the Ma'agan Mikhael material is a conifer resin that has undergone thermal treatment and should be properly referred to as ‘tar’ or ‘pitch’. Similar results were obtained for the other ship-derived material from Chalon-sur-Saône. We suggest, therefore, that the term ‘resin’ should not be employed, as is commonly done, to describe materials, which were used as protective cover on ship timbers or as caulking material, unless chemical analysis indicate lack of thermal treatment.

Block Construction of Small Ships and Boats Through Use of Developable Panels*

The authors propose a simple method to improve productivity for construction and subsequent outfitting of typical hard-chine boats. This method uses CAD/CAM definition of the structure to manufacture the bottom and sides, decks and bulkheads of the boat as independent panels. The system divides such craft into construction modules by surfaces instead of by blocks as in standard shipbuilding practice. Since all of these panels are developable, an adjustable jigging system supports them essentially horizontally on their rulings. Transverse stiffeners are then welded to the panels. The system and details are optimized for maximum use of downhand welding and weld pacers. This system, however, requires specialized software to develop piece parts and to efficiently derive these modules from the product model. The developable panels can be outfitted with machinery, foundations, piping, wiring and insulation. Bottom and side panels can be tipped up, joined and more outfit installed in stages optimized for lifting and ready access. The deck is built and outfitted inverted, and then joined to the open hull. The bulkhead details and deck framing are also optimized to allow ready outfitting and subsequent joining of the deck as a unit. The easy access to the panels also allows effective, low-cost surface preparation and painting, so this system has benefits for both steel and aluminum construction.