Serendipitous Travel – along the coast and inland waters
Travelling the coast and inland Sri Lanka will never be the same as I discover the wonderful history associated with the traditional water craft of Sri Lanka, I also note with great interest the changes to the current day water craft.
What has escaped my attention over the years, what I took for granted as I visited coastal areas and inland villages, was the prominence watercraft played in the daily lives of many Sri Lankans, from deep sea fishing, to inland fishing, to the other multiple uses, watercraft play an important role in the daily lives of Sri Lankans on a variety of lakes, lagoons and estuaries. A seafaring history that goes back many, many hundreds of years. Full of colour, tradition and history; a story of tough men, hard working, ‘sons of the sea’, brave as they come, innovative, skilled in sailing, skilled in ‘reading’ the seas and tides these tough folk have traversed the seas of Sri Lanka and fished the inland waters for generations.
Above, Weligama Bay- in the fore front are wooden plank built deep sea fishing craft, with an internal ‘engine house’. They started to emerge in the 1950’s. The fleet above operate in groups in what is called ‘light course fishing’ carried out at night. The chair or wooden plank seat, at the top of the rigging is for a ‘look out’ to spot the battery powered light that is rigged up out at sea by one of the group to attract the fish. Once this ‘beacon’ is spotted the other boats converge on the area to try their luck. I assume that in the old days a flame torch of kerosene soaked rags was used to attract the fish
Left above: Hambantota Beach in 1985 ,illustrates the emergence of the out board motor (OBM) on the wooden sea oruwas . Not only is the OBM indicative of change but the paint, on what were all traditionally, wooden craft, also heralds the winds of change. It appears that the transformation to fibreglass was much hastened after the 2004 Tsunami that devastated the fishing fleets around most of the Island. Right above: A Theppam; a traditional, all wooden log raft, still in use in the Puttlam Lagoon, on the Kalpitiya Peninsula. The wooden structure set up on the other vessel is most likely to protect the users from the harsh sun during the day in that part of the country. Of interest is the coir rope net piled on the theppam…these days nylon nets are very much the norm in the fishing communities.
Left: Ganga Oruwas or Kalapu Oruwas used on inland waters and various waterways. These oruwas were recorded by a large wewa on the road to Tanamalwila from Yala. The folk may use it to fish, harvest water plants or use it as an utility vessel to get across the wewa . Whilst the hull is of fibreglass the outrigger is of wood.
Below:The vessel below is being used to harvest Lotus flowers on Bolgoda Lake it is an all fibreglass version of the ganga oruwa, including the outrigger. Perhaps we are witnessing the emergence of the “modern” ganga oruwa. In older times a platform of planks over two such wooden hulls would have been called an Angula, it seems there is a combination of both types still in use on the Bolgoda lake as the picture below left shows an angula behind the ganga oruwa. 
Below: Mechanised fishing vessels at Negombo and Chilaw. What might be termed commercial vessels. The raised engine room and structure for the ‘skipper’ is evident.
Below Left: Weligama Bay. The oruwas in the forefront are called waraa oruwa– used in the shallow seas – they do not go out to sea like the bigger sea oruwas Below Right: A ferryman on the Kelaniya river, Kithulgala, uses a long fibreglass hulled oruwa with a bamboo for an outrigger. A very narrow hulled craft. One has to stand in the boat when being ferried across.
Above:Galle beach adjacent to the Old Dutch Fort; The new breed of sea oruwa…long bows ( front end), fibreglass, no sails, the outrigger also made of fibre glass, the rear end of craft ( stern) designed to take an out board motor….and yet – with wooden structure to hold the seat for Light Course Fishing- in deep sea waters.
Travel along the coast will always have a new dimension of interest….I cannot wait to visit the far North Western coastal areas and the North Eastern Coastal areas – and inland water ways. I am certain the conflict that plagued those areas for the last 30 years , in a way, has preserved some of the traditional craft used by the rural people. Plans are afoot for a visit early next year. Stay tuned!
Last but not least: I have been on a steep learning curve and my enthusiasm ‘fired’ by the patience and vast knowledge of Mr. Somasiri Devendra. Many thanks to him as I grasp the variations to the watercraft of Sri Lanka.
recommended reading for the interested:
Pre-modern Sri Lankan watercraft: the twin-hulled logboats by Somasiri Devendra
Records of Traditional watercraft from South and West Sri Lanka by Gerhard Kapitan ,Somasiri Devendra and Gerald Grainge
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