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maintenance given to it. Smaller junks, like those in Kau Sai, may have a life of 15-25 years. Large deep-sea craft may last twice as long.
The three main types of junk operating out of Kau Sai between 1950 and 1970 were purse-seiners, small long-liners and hand-liners. The fish trappers' boats were indistinguishable from the last, except for their specialised gear. There was also a fourth type, used exclusively as a carrier and owned by land-dwellers. Known as p'a tsai or p'a t'eng tsai (lit. small paddle boat): it had a single mast and no deck covers. It did not normally serve as a dwelling place.
Purse-seiners
Purse-seiners are chunky little boats, measuring between about 25' and 35' in overall length and about 11' in the beam. Both larger and smaller examples may be found.37
On the purse-seiners fresh water is always stored forward, right up in the bows under a raised rectangular hatch cover. Here, too, worship is offered daily, and on all special ritual occasions, to the Spirit of the Prow. Holds for brine, and salt fish come next. They are separated from the (larger) fresh fish holds by the net holds. All this fore part of the junk is open decked. Aft of the mast is a large hold, running most of the breadth of the boat, traditionally used for gear, lamps, rope, spare sail-cloth etc. but now-a-days occupied by the engine and known as the “engine room” (ch'eah fong). Further aft the holds are all given over to gear, clothing and personal possessions. Cooking is always done on two or three chatties on the port side of the raised poop, the starboard side being used for a privy. The poop projects some three to four feet over the water, and a hole in the boards here, or a gap between two, allows for complete cleanliness. Surrounding wooden walls about 2½ feet high afford also a fair degree of privacy. Privy and “galley” can both be covered over with wooden lids which provide convenient extra seating, and from which the steering is usually done. The helmsman can quite easily control both the long handled tiller and either sails or long gear lever at the same time, often using his toes for the latter.
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maintenance given to it. Smaller junks, like those in Kau Sai, may have a life of 15-25 years. Large deep-sea craft may last twice as long.
The three main types of junk operating out of Kau Sai between 1950 and 1970 were purse-seiners, small long-liners and hand-liners. The fish trappers' boats were indistinguishable from the last, except for their specialised gear. There was also a fourth type, used exclusively as a carrier and owned by land-dwellers. Known as p'a tsai or p'a t’eng tsai (lit. small paddle boat): it had a single mast and no deck covers. It did not normally serve as a dwelling place.
Purse-seiners
Purse-seiners are chunky little boats, measuring between about 25' and 35' in overall length and about 11' in the beam. Both larger and smaller examples may be found.37
On the purse-seiners fresh water is always stored forward, right up in the bows under a raised rectangular hatch cover. Here, too, worship is offered daily, and on all special ritual occasions, to the Spirit of the Prow. Holds for brine, and salt fish come next. They are separated from the (larger) fresh fish holds by the net holds. All this fore part of the junk is open decked. Aft of the mast is a large hold, running most of the breadth of the boat, traditionally used for gear, lamps, rope, spare sail-cloth etc. but now-a-days occupied by the engine and known as the “engine room" (ch'eah fong). Further aft the holds are all given over to gear, clothing and personal possessions. Cooking is always done on two or three chatties on the port side of the raised poop, the starboard side being used for a privy. The poop projects some three to four feet over the water, and a hole in the boards here, or a gap between two, allows for complete cleanli- ness. Surrounding wooden walls about 21⁄2 feet high afford also a fair degree of privacy. Privy and “galley” can both be covered over with wooden lids which provide convenient extra seating, and from which the steering is usually done. The helmsman can quite easily control both the long handled tiller and either sails or long gear lever at the same time, often using his toes for the latter.
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