Indian Merchant Vessel Analysis by Adam Curry


Model of an Indian Merchant Vessel, 17 th c. (Photo by Adam Curry)

This is a vessel from Mandvi shipyard in Gujarat, India. It appears to be lateen rigged (main sail resting on port side of ship). The hull of the ship provides clues as to where the vessel was from because it was built shell first. The pronounced keel is also a sign that the vessel was crafted in Gujarat, as this technique was a staple in India. The hull planking shows no signs of scarphing and was fit together tightly for a smooth shell. The large rudder is a detail that was commonplace in the Indian region as the waters were tough to navigate without a strong rudder for steering.

Fishing and Navigation Instruments (Photo by Adam Curry)

The contents found on board this merchant vessel include: three oars (two large, one small), one gillnet, and one anchor. These items point towards the ship being involved in the fishing trade of the late seventeenth century. The oars were used to navigate the seas as well as the deep cutting rivers of the Indian coast. The gillnet was used in two ways: it was either towed behind the vessel in the open ocean to catch fish swimming behind the boat, or used to block off a river to catch fish that way. The large rudder supports the idea of open ocean fishing because it was strong enough to navigate the rough waters.


Stern view, Gujarat merchant vessel (Photo by Adam Curry)

This type of vessel was crafted in seventeenth-century India. India was colonized by the British around this time and took over the land. The people of India were dependent on the shipbuilding industry. Instead of killing off the industry, the British commissioned the construction of boats for their own use. It is evident that this vessel is from that time period, or shortly after the colonization, as the markings on the bow resemble those of other English ships. Also, lateen rigging, visible on the vessel, was a staple on boats from Western Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.


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