196
November 30, 2002

Thai Wood: Quality Construction Survives

The F/V S. Sriudom alongside for final fitting out on November 23.

In the large fishing ports near Bangkok of Mahachai and Mae Klong, fishing and packer boats return from distant waters in Indonesia and Bangladesh with catches to feed the sophisticated Thai consumers and the country’s extensive processing sector. Increasingly these larger, over 30 metre, vessels are of steel construction. But the wood working skills honed over centuries of fashioning water craft from the country’s hardwood forests, continue to support an extensive wooden boat building infrastructure. The majority of the inshore and near shore vessels under 30 metres continue to be built of wood.

As is the case for forests over much of the world, old growth Thai teak is virtually logged out, but a number of very fine hardwoods remain in reasonable supply. In the meantime, the Thai government has instituted an extensive reforesting program that promises more of the legendary teak in the future. Although even here, concern is being expressed by shipwrights that the tree plantation with their managed trees are producing faster growing trees that lack the tight grain of the old growth. A number of sawmills specialize in providing edge grain planking for marine use. Most planking is Ta Kian Thong or Golden Ta Kian. It has very similar properties to teak with a specific gravity of .8 compared to teak’s .642. Bending and stiffness properties of the two woods are comparable although the durability of the Ta Kian is rated at only 7.7 years on average in tropical climes compared to the teak’s 16 year average life expectancy. In spite of this, many boats built of both these woods continue to provide sound service well beyond these projections. The air dried Ta Kian has a moisture content of about 12 percent. The humid atmosphere combines with this to make a steam box unnecessary and two-inch thick planks are bent after scorching them directly over a coconut shell fire.

Kuhn Durian with the Cummins KTA19 main engine.

Typical of the classic Ta Kian-planked boats being consturcted is the 24-metre F/V S. Sriudom built on the shores of the Mae Klong (Mother River) by Taweechai Shipyard. Delivered in late November this year, the boat was built in just five months by master shipwright Praphan Noichalerm and his crew of ten builders. With a seven-metre beam, the boat can carry up to 30-tons of fish in nine separate insulated holds. The trawl gear is hauled over the stainless steel sheathed bulwarks on the starboard side with the aide of a single hydraulic deck winch. The trawl doors are stowed aft. Very basic accommodations are provided for up to 30 crew in the boats aft house. The Spartan nature of the accommodations is relieved by the quality joinery and fine finish to the interior wood work. Skipper and crew accommodation is located on the upper deck with the main deck space reserved for engineer accommodation and stores.

In the aft hull a 600 HP six-cylinder Cummins KTA19 provides reliable towing power. The engine is coupled to a Twin Disc gear. This addition to his fleet brings to five the owner’s number of Cummins-powered vessels. Auxiliary power includes a pair of 10 Kw generator sets and a third auxiliary to drive the vessel’s hydraulics. As in much of Southeast Asia, there is a continuing affinity for quality wood construction powered by quality marine engines. In this, the Thai fishermen, share a common place with their compatriots in the Seattle-based wooden halibut longline schooners, the sardine seiners of Peniche, Portugal and countless other fishermen around the world who insist on a tradition of quality in their hulls and the engines that power them.

Master shipwright Kuhn Praphan Noichalerm with a newly framed boat in background.

I have a range of other photos showing the boat’s wheelhouse, interesting mechanical steering, deck winch and sister ship under construction. Please let me know if you would like a further sampling.

For further information or to mail a copy of your published article please note the builder’s address:

Kuhn Praphan Noichalerm
(Chang Kit)
Taweechai Shipyard
198 Tambon Mae Klong
Amphur Muang,
Samut Songkhram 75000
Thailand

500-476, 475-451, 450-426, 425-401, 400-376
375-351, 350-326, 325-301, 300-276, 275-251, 250-226, 225-201
200-176, 175-151, 150-126, 125-101, 100-76, 75-51, 50-26, 25-0