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Pointed canoes Home | Beaked canoes | Pointed canoes | Large boats
The greater sophistication of the pointed canoes allows them to be the base form for the larger boats. The framed and braced construction can be increased in size almost indefinitely. The simple planking of the beaked canoes would lead to too much flexibility and weight if enlarged too much. The picture below shows two pointed canoes with living accommodation being rowed strongly up the river, with a steering paddle at the stern.
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The
pointed canoes come to sharp points, often with a small deck at each end providing the standing area.
They are of more sophisticated construction than the beaked canoes, having
sawn frames strengthening the hull planks and an inner gunwale. The beaked
form seemed most common around Jorhat, where we started our journey, with
pointed ones becoming more common as we sailed down river to Guarhati, the
state capital. This may be an indication of increasing prosperity going
further down river supporting more sophisticated technology. These two
pictures show different ways of decking these canoes, using split bamboo.
The ways bamboo is used, both for boat and house construction is endlessly
inventive and fascinating.
