Ulak
A Ulak (or Ulaq ; English also: oolak or oolaq ) is a small Indian river sailing ship.
Details and construction
The Ulak has been used to transport goods on the Ganges , the Brahmaputra and the Meghna and their tributaries in Bengal for centuries . The boat has a square sail on the fore and is faster downwind than most other types of boats in the area. If there is no wind or if the wind is adverse, it is moved with one or more oars .
The wooden hull, which tapers to a point fore and aft, is, unlike almost all other comparable ships in the region, joined together in clinker construction . The boat has a small deck fore and aft. In the middle part is the cargo space , which is only protected with a removable cover. Like other traditional vehicles in this region, Ulaks are reminiscent of ships that were used on the Nile in ancient Egypt . A noteworthy detail is the aft port rudder , the blade of which has the shape of an upward-pointing triangle. The underwater area of the stern is planked accordingly so that the rudder blade can rotate freely.
literature
- Bathe, BW: Ship Models, 4: Foreign Small Craft . Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London 1966.
Web links
- Building description and picture at scienceandsociety (English)
- ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )
- "NOTE by Mr. Secretary Prinsep on the introduction of Steam Navigation on the Rivers in Bengal, dated 31st July 1828 and PS. Dated 7th August." In: House of Commons papers, Volume 10, Part 2, Reports from Committees: East India Company's Affairs. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, 1831/2, p. 678
- Science Museum Group. Whole model of a "Ulak", Bengal produce boat. 1880-76. Science Museum Group Collection Online. Accessed January 4, 2018. (English)