Longtail boats, icons on the water in Thailand
They are characteristic of Thai waters and are almost never missing from a photo of one beach: the longtail (longtail) boats. In Thai they are called 'Reua Haang Yao'.
You can see them all over Southeast Asia. In Thailand you find the most longtail boats on the Chao Phraya River or in the Klongs (canals) of Bangkok. There are also quite a few sailing on the Andaman Sea.
Fishing boat or water taxi
There are different types of longtail boats, most of them are used as a fishing boat or as a water taxi. The longtail boat gets its name from the typical long drive shaft for the propeller, at the back of the boat. This makes it look like the boat has a long tail. Traditionally, these boats were made of wood or bamboo, but there are now also modern ones made of fiberglass, for example. The huge engines at the back of the boats are sometimes custom-made, but usually they are simply modified diesel engines from a car or truck. This makes them relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain. The downside is that the exhaust is not muffled and they are quite noisy as a result.
The skipper sits or stands at the back of the boat, while the passengers sit in front of him on small wooden planks. An awning as a roof offers shade and shelter. A number of boats also have adjustable plastic side awnings. This is intended to protect the passengers against splashing water or rain.
decorations
Depending on where you are in Thailand, the front of the boat is decorated in a certain way. Often you will see some colored scarves, tied to the bow of the boat (often in red, white and blue, the color of the Thai flag). You also regularly see other decorations such as wreaths or flowers. These decorations look festive, but are not intended as decoration. They are supposed to bring good luck and provide protection. Belief in ghosts (animism) is serious business in Thailand. The garlands or scarves on the front of the boat are in honor of the spirits of the water and 'Mae Yanang' the goddess who must protect boats and helmsmen against misfortune.
Safety
In some seaside resorts, the long tail is the easiest and fastest way to get around. A longtail boat trip is enjoyable on a pleasant day with calm seas, but can be quite rough in choppy waters. If you use a boat in Thailand, it is important to know that safety is not the highest priority for a Thai. Therefore, check in advance whether there are sufficient reliable life jackets on board. Ear plugs are also recommended for long distances with a longtail boat.
The cost of your trip depends on the distance and where you are. Some routes have fixed fares, while on others the price is negotiable. It is possible to rent a longtail boat (with skipper) for half a day or full day.
The annoying thing about these kinds of texts is that you are always left with the questions that come to your mind all the time while reading…
Questions you don't get the answer to.
So THE question is: Why does it necessarily have to be such a long driving rod for the propeller, that 'long tail'?
From observation I have a strong suspicion of what the purpose of that long tail is.
But I'd like to hear from someone with some engineering knowledge.
The "ordinary" outboard motors are expensive (Honda, Mercury, etc.) and the propeller is deeper in the water, so it is not possible to get everywhere. The engines must then be turned over.
The "long tail" engines are often used car engines, easy to repair or replace, in addition, the propellers are almost on the surface of the water. The cooling is also quite simple.
I've been sailing everywhere for 50+ years and find those longtails typically Thai, charming but very inefficient in terms of performance and not very seaworthy.
But it is a cheap solution with a discarded car engine on it and the Thai apparently like noise more than a good exhaust.
All those rotating pulleys and belts of the engine so close behind you are of course very dangerous and if you are not careful you can lose a finger or more.
But you can maneuver (forward/backward) without an expensive gearbox.
Here in the south you can buy such a longtail with a simple one-cylinder engine new for a few thousand euros
You have to learn to maneuver with that long tail, but you get used to it quickly and it is fun sailing / fishing
in the morning when the waves are not high.
With more wind/waves they are dangerous things and they perish with some regularity.
A boat with gearbox and propeller in front of the rudder or a stern drive system (outboard engine) as we use in the Netherlands is much more efficient in terms of propulsion (energy consumed versus boat speed / distance) but also (much) more expensive to purchase.
I am not an engineer, guess the long start gives the boatswain the chance to sail in very shallow water.
An ordinary outboard motor needs a certain depth, but in case of shallow water there is also a kick-up position, the outboard motor then has a skewed position, so you can still use it in much shallower water.
Anyone really sure?
Nico B
The engines usually come from a discarded truck or lorry. So second-hand, and cheap, also in terms of maintenance and parts. The length of the drive rod ultimately ensures maneuverability, even at low revs. Furthermore, the motor with rod is easily removed and the boat can easily be lifted out of the water. Perhaps the length also helps to distribute the weight of the ensemble, so that less force is needed to turn. All this seems logical to me, Mee Farang, but maybe an engineer can explain it better in his standard language?
MAW it's rowing with the oars you have. Just a cheap solution to boat
sailing and turning.
The question was why such a long drive shaft?
I think that the length of the drive shaft is decisive to let the propulsion screw rotate as vertically as possible in the water (so as perpendicular as possible below the waterline) to prevent upward pressure at the rear of the longtail.
The motor is mounted quite high so a long straight shaft will be needed.
regards
Rob
One of the nicest longtail boat experiences (I didn't know that boat was called that at the time): https://www.thailandblog.nl/reisverhalen/kai-khai-vergeten-bplaa/
For sailing in shallow waters, or waters with many threatening objects (e.g. giant beds of water hyacinths) a long straight drive shaft is a pro over a fixed propeller shaft, even compared to a Z-drive or with an outboard short or long tail .
The straight drive shaft also saves a lot of gear transmissions typical of Z-drives and BB engines, and a gearbox is also superfluous. . This saves a lot of investment and maintenance costs. A grease pump and an adjustable wrench or a few open-end wrenches are sufficient.
You can repair and maintain ashes; screw and rudder above the water level, even on board. You don't have to go into the water for that, don't bend over yourself.
The long drive shaft also has a positive effect on the boat's front characteristics.
First on the craft squad. The ship is, as it were, extended by the long drive shaft.
As a result, water-displacing (read heavily loaded) higher speeds can be sailed without pushing the ship into the abyss. Planing on the water is also relatively easy with this type of propulsion and then other laws apply ...
You can read more about squad at:
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squat_(scheepvaart)
The long axis allows for the easiest way to maneuver in a horizontal plane, but also allows you to influence the "trim" of the ship, say to steer the ship vertically, and again super easy.
Trim of a ship is explained in this link:
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trim_(scheepvaart)
The Thai long-tail boat has a cheap, simple, reliable, robust, maintenance-friendly all-in-one drive and control system.
We Westerners in our highly developed culture always need a lot of stuff for just about everything … we even have a hard time coming up with combinations of simplicity and functionality 🙂
The “rua hang jao” (เรือหางยาว) is such a wonderfully authentic concoction.
Regarding the safety of use and the seaworthiness of the longtail boats, I wholeheartedly agree with the above warnings.
Those things require a lot of driving skills. I wouldn't get in with a farrang on the handlebar 🙂
We knew a German who had bought such a boat and went fishing with it.
One day the wind blew hard and the Thai warned him not to set sail.
He did anyway and never came back!!
Awesome !!!
I hope they never disappear.
It's a big part of the Bangkok Klong experience.
You will never forget a trip for the rest of your life.
And when you see AND hear the boats, many hearts beat faster.
Part of real basic life in this beautiful unique country.
And for the shore helmsmen. Not everything new is better.
KhunBram.