A practical boat for local fishers and fishpond operators

By Roberto Garcia

A FEW years back I started using a small motorized boat that usually catches the attention of people along the river because of its unconventional engine design compared to our local motorboats.

But it is nothing new really. Popularly known as the long tail boat, it is commonly by our south-east Asian neighbors Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam for transporting people, goods, and boat racing.

It is a uniquely designed boat wherein the propeller is connected by a long shaft to the engine and mounted over the stern. Thus, the boat can be easily maneuvered since the engine can swivel left, right, up and down.

But is this boat suitable for use in our local rivers and coastal waters, and perhaps in fishpond operation?

Definitely!

The long tail boat is ideal for use in our shallow riverine system since the depth of the propeller can be adjusted to prevent it from hitting the bottom. It is also highly maneuverable in narrow and winding waterways because of the light weight and the propeller can be turned in any direction.

It uses a small 5-horsepower gas engine that can be mounted on a typical local boat design which is flat bottom and rectangular in shape. The engine, together with the propeller and shaft, can be easily detached from the boat by simply loosening a bolt and hand carried for storage or for safekeeping. In the event that the engine fails, the propeller with the shaft can simply be lifted and the boat can then just be paddled.

Inside fishponds, the boat can be used as a service transport to move practically anything — people, fish, building materials, and feeds.

Now here is another important use for the boat: it can provide aeration inside the ponds when dissolved oxygen level is critically low and thus prevent an impending fish kill.

Local boat makers can adopt this simple design and supply not only the local fishers but also interested parties from neighboring municipalities and provinces, and probably boost the local boat industry.

Likewise, the local tourism industry can benefit with the use of this boat in touring visitors along the mangrove-filled rivers. In Thailand, the long tail boat is very popular among tourists in visiting scenic areas.

It’s about time that we try out new things, dare to turn away from what we have always been used to, and start considering the use of the long tail boat in our local waters.

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