Has anyone tried the round boats/canoes?

gg1965

Active member

Member since 06 March 2015

gg1965

12 August 2015 00:48:51

gg1965

12 August 2015 00:48:51

Hi all,

Those round boats - they don't look very practical in terms of moving and directing them. The more traditional and elongated canoes seem to be much better to handle and to go somewhere.

So has anyone tried those round boats? Are they easy and practical to use? What advantages does the shape of the round boats offer?

Thanks

g

ralphnhatrang

Serial expat

Member since 20 January 2015

Adelaide, South Australia

ralphnhatrang

12 August 2015 05:29:50

599

ralphnhatrang

12 August 2015 05:29:50

599

Adelaide, South Australia

The round boats are called coracles in English and thuyền thúng in Vietnamese. They have a long history, stretching back to ancient Persia and to modern day Ireland, Wales and Vietnam. They had the advantage of being stable and are able to carry large loads, so that Vietnamese fishermen use coracles to carry their catch ashore onto beaches. Coracles are paddled with the side to side sweeping of a single paddle. I tried it once and was a dismal failure.