Fishing vessel; Canoe; Outrigger, Oru

Scale: Unknown. A model of a fishing outrigger sailing canoe, or oru, of a type used in Sri Lanka. It is made entirely in wood with organic material fittings. The hull is a double ended carved dugout extended with washstrakes fixed onto shaped, inverted frames and sewn to the hull with coir. The ends of the hull are sharply raked. A pair of irregularly shaped and curved outrigger booms are rigged to one side of the hull and attached to the boat at the top of the strakes. The other side of the hull tapering rectangular leeboards are attached at each end by a dowel. The outrigger float is carved from a single piece of wood pointed at both ends that curve slightly upwards. The boat has a v-shaped mast to which is attached a single rectangular sail.

These vessels are truly double ended and the float of the outrigger is kept to windward to counteract the wind pressure on the sail. The V-shaped mast is commonly found on orus from the West of Sri Lanka.

Object Details

ID: AAE0158
Collection: Ship models
Type: Full hull model; Rigged model; Sails set
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Unknown
Date made: Before 1975
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 620 mm x 570 mm x 410 mm
Parts: Fishing vessel; Canoe; Outrigger, Oru
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