Comments on: Philippines Dugout Canoes for rapids and rocks – Pagsanjan Falls

By: Michael Storer

Michael Storer — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 16:08:01 +0000

In reply to josh.

No Ballast Josh,

The idea of ballast maybe is quite a western one. The solution for getting more stability for these slender hulls in the rivers of the Philippines is simply to add outrigger hulls.

Michael

By: josh

josh — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 23:08:24 +0000

do they use any ballast in the dugouts? on a recent visit to Plimouth Plantation in Plymouth, MA I spent time in the Native American encampment where modern day Wampanoag Indians get paid to practice some of the activities being done at the time of the Pilgrims. One of them was an area where they make Mishoon http://projectmishoon.homestead.com/ , the old mishoon found in the lake is similar to the ones being made at plimouth plantation, however the modern ones look much more like the ones you rode. Two of the native men there have actually taken one out on Plymouth harbor, they had to deliver one over to the Mayflower II where it is displayed as part of the story boards you read on the way to the ship.
I got to talk to one of the men, he said they put hundreds of pounds of rocks in the bottom for ballast and that made the dugout very stable, with just the two of them paddling they got the Mishoon up to a good clip and it was nice and stable out side of the break water in Plymouth Harbor, in fact they liked it so much they took the long way around staying to the outer edge of the harbor, crossing out in the open water and then finally heading for the ship. There is a good picture of them coming up to the pier with a good wake.
There are records of english ships sighting mishoon far off shore, crossing cap cod bay, and out to Islands off cape cod. The trees back then were bigger though and the off shore dugouts were much wider and deeper, even up to 8-10 feet across, with many paddlers.

By: Michael Storer

Michael Storer — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 22:40:19 +0000

In reply to John Power.

Hi John,

Great story, do you have any photos of the boats or place at that time. If you want to email them to me – storerm@storerboatplans.com I will insert them into your comments above. People (including me) are very hungry for photographs!

No problem if you can’t … of course! :)

Michael.

By: John Power

John Power — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 14:51:15 +0000

Interesting piece. I lived for three years in Northern Samar, the next island south of Luzon. I built a place on the beach where a river emptied into the sea. Spent lots of time kayaking on the river. The dug out canoes that all the locals built were similar to the ones pictured, but I never saw one with any paint. I owned two "Bankas", which are larger, more seaworthy craft. The lower hulls are hollowed out mahogany logs and plywood topsides are added. Bamboo amas are added for stability. I owned an eighteen and a twenty-four footer. They both were equipped with small "briggs and stratton" motors. This basic design is used for even very large (up to sixty or more feet) boats. Every where I traveled in the Philippines, I was struck by the diversity of small craft. Each island had its own particular style of working craft. Nothing fancy, no fiberglass, just plain, no nonsense home built work boats. Thanks, Michael, for sharing your PR experience. It brought back fine boating memories. John (If John doesn't mind we might collaborate on a longer story with more photos)