Paraw

This article is about an outrigger sail boat. For the mountain, seeMount Paraw.

Paraw under sail inBoracay

A paraw on a Philippinepostcard(c.1940)

A paraw sailing onBoracay Island

Paraw(also spelledparao) are various doubleoutriggersail boats in thePhilippines.It is a general term (similar to the termbangka) and thus can refer to a range of ship types, from small fishing canoes to large merchantlashed-lugplank boats (balangayorbaloto) with two outriggers (katig) propelled by sails (usually a largecrab-claw sailopposite a smaller triangularforesail)

Etymology

1913 photograph of a paraw offBacolod,Negroswith traditionalAustronesiancrab claw sails

The wordparaw(also spelledparao) is acognateof the termsproaof thePacific Islands,andperahuorprauofMalay-Indonesia.It refers tooutrigger boatspropelled by sails (layag). It is a type ofbangka,the wider term used for boats (with or without outriggers) in the Philippines.

Characteristics

The paraw has three major elements that make it a paraw: thebangka(canoe or main hull), thekatig(outriggers), and thelayag(sails). Motorized versions of bangkas (with outriggers) are commonly known aspump boatsand are used for inter-island travel.

Paraws can sail between 11 and 17 knots (20~31 km/h). The outriggers (ama), orkatig,are made of wood or bamboo, and may be straight or curved upward much likeskis.

Construction

Aparawsailboat on a beach

Traditionally these boats have been made fromdungon,guisoc,ipil,duca, baslayan, obacya, bayog,Philippine mahogany(lawaan), basa andmolave.Modern versions useplywood.The ropes of the boats are traditionally made fromabaca(Manila hemp), but are now often synthetic rope.

The main hull (excluding outriggers) is called abangkafordugout canoesorbaloto(alsobalangay,baroto,biroko,biray,etc.) for hulls made of planks secured with lashed lugs. The boat itself may be classified by passenger capacity asisahan('for one [person]') orduwahan('for two [persons]'), but the paraw usually has capacity for more than two people, leading to its use in ferrying small groups of passengers and goods between islands. The narrow cross-section of the boat made it sleek, cutting across water without a lot of drag.

The twokatigor outriggers usually made from bamboo or various kinds of wood and served as counterpoise so that the boat would not easily overturn. They are attached to the boat viatarik(akas). The presence of the outriggers negates the need for a heavy keel and therefore reduces the overall weight of the paraw without sacrificing stability.

Thelayagormain sailmay be made of anything from woven mats, cloth, canvas even sack cloth. Traditionally the main sail is similar to a lateen rig or a crabclaw sail and is attached to a vertical and horizontal spar, the sail differs from a traditional lateen rig in that the vertical spar is parallel to the mast and does not suffer from bad tack. The sail's spar may be as long as the mast, unattached and may appear to be longer than the mast when attached to it. There are no guidelines as to how the main sail is shaped but it may approximate an equilateral triangle. The paraw is also equipped with a foresail or jib and adds to the overall surface area and generated thrust derived from the wind. A variation of the paraw with rectangular sails is thevinta.

The mast, commonly made of bamboo, is secured by lines attached to, among other things, the outriggers, the fore (and sometimes, the aft) and various parts of the boat. Historically, the mast of smaller paraws was a spear orbangkawand was a useful part of the ship when conducting raids against other seaside villages.

Current uses

TheBalatik,a 74 ft (23 m) sailingparawused byTao PhilippinesinCoron,Palawan

Balatik

In November 2012, a team led by the artisan Gener Paduga, along with theTao Philippinesorganization, started building a full-sized paraw sailboat inPalawan.Paduga originally envisioned the project while crewing a sailing yacht from Palawan to Africa. After having witnessed the thriving native sailing traditions in the Indian Ocean, he decided to revive the almost extinct native boat-building and sailing traditions of the Philippines. Sailing ships, which were once used throughout the islands, were in steep decline after engines became widely available in the 1970s.

The team consisted of several traditional boat carpenters from the islands ofCagayancilloandRomblon.The boat was constructed entirely using native techniques and also featured intricate designs by two master carvers of the nativePalaw'an people.The boat was completed in March 2014 and was officially named theBalatik,after a traditional Filipinoconstellation(equivalent toOrion's Belt) named after ahunter's trapping device.It is 74 ft (23 m) long and 9 ft (2.7 m) at the widest point of the hull.It has twomastswith four sails and could be crewed by three or four people. The boat is currently used both for tourism and for educational and social welfare projects of the Tao Kalahi Foundation in Palawan.

Paraw Regatta

TheParaw Regatta,largest sailboat race in the Philippines and the oldest in Asia, is held annually since 1973. It is a 36.5 kilometer race held inArevalodistrict inIloilo City.

Paraw sailing Boracay Island

Paraws for rent in the tourist island ofBoracay

BeforeBoracay Islandbecame a tourist spot, paraws were used for fishing and transportation of people as well as goods. Paraw sailing these days is a major tourist attraction. Local sailors offer their paraws forisland hoppingand sunset sailing for a fairly small rental fee.

See also

• Balangay
• Bigiw
• Karakoa
• Pinisi
• Vinta

References

• "A Perspective of the Paraw".Iloilo Paraw Regatta.Iloilo Paraw Regatta Foundation. June 9, 2009. Archived from the original on July 6, 2009.RetrievedJune 9,2009.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
• Funtecha, Henry F. (February 27, 2009)."Baroto, Paraw, Batil, Barangay, Etc: Panay's Maritime Legacy".The News Today.RetrievedMay 21,2010.
• Laput, Ernesto J."Mga Barko ng Ninuno"[The Ships of (our) Ancestors].PINAS: Munting Kasaysayan ng Pira-Pirasong Bayan(in Tagalog). elaput.org.RetrievedMay 13,2010.