Very Early photo of Vietnamese Sailing boats

[hellsfire]

Hi All
I have been living in Vietnam for some time (Originally a New Zealander) but I just came across a very interesting old photo of Saigon when it was first colonized by the French.

You can see in the photo in the foreground Vietnamese boats and you will still see the way they are painted in the photo all over Vietnam still today.

What I am interested in is how they are rigged. This totally surprised me as all the so-called Vietnamese sail boats you see now are like Chinese junks but here you see this is just not the case at all.

Would be interested on comments for the knowledgeable ones on this style of rigging?

Regards
Hamish

[StuM]

Looks like lateen sails. They originated in the mediterranean area a couple of thousand years ago and were used for a long time by arab traders. They were the first fore and aft sails that allowed sailing to windward.

[El Pinguino]

Some interesting info here North VN Coastal Boats: The Wooden Boats of the North Vietnam Coast

Looks like the same sort of hull form as the Halong Bay Sailing Junk... scroll down..... and I imagine the same rig...

[Seabeau]

The vessels appear to be lateen rigged. The Indian Ocean trade has been going on for three millennia and was the major source of East-West cultural, economic and technological exchanges. Trade in Chinese silk and eastern spices for Roman gold were quite extensive and at least one Roman Emperor complained at the cost to his treasury. The lateen rigged ship design, the dhow, a generic term at best, usually thought to be of muslim origin is now believed to be an Indian design and apparently its use spread both East and West.

[Yellowtulip]

That mast and sail combination right at the stem looks interesting. A manoeuvring sail perhaps?

[roland stockham]

The photo is to small to see the detail but could also crab claw sails.

[Scaramanga F25]

The very best historic boat models of the entire world are to be seen in the Musee Maritime in Paris.

Hundres of accurate models made years ago by a French Sea captain.

When in Paris not to be missed. Even a full scale in the entrance.
Expect to spend the better part of a day. Modern race boats as well.
Ships etc...

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by hellsfire

Hi All
I have been living in Vietnam for some time (Originally a New Zealander) but I just came across a very interesting old photo of Saigon when it was first colonized by the French.

You can see in the photo in the foreground Vietnamese boats and you will still see the way they are painted in the photo all over Vietnam still today.

What I am interested in is how they are rigged. This totally surprised me as all the so-called Vietnamese sail boats you see now are like Chinese junks but here you see this is just not the case at all.

Would be interested on comments for the knowledgeable ones on this style of rigging?

Regards
Hamish

Definitely not to be difficult, but, 1) Is it Viet Nam (French Indochina) for sure? 2) For reasons I cannot specifically recall, the vessels with the rigs in question would also fit in with Indonesia. The vessel at the dock appears to be more modern, perhaps shortly after WWII, or is it?

[SuW]

Interesting photo. The actual subject looks like a Victorian-era naval academy being built...the full mast with rigging, the cadets (probably) in blue/white and the building under construction.

[Don C L]

All lateen schooners?

[El Pinguino]

The building under construction is the Maison Wang-Tai pictured in 1867

Wang Tai and the Cochinchina Opium Monopoly - HISTORIC VIETNAM

I think the rig is a combination.... lateen in style.... 'junk' in construction ie with the panels..... see the photo I linked to earlier at #2 of a Halong Bay sailing junk.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

The building under construction is the Maison Wang-Tai pictured in 1867

Wang Tai and the Cochinchina Opium Monopoly - HISTORIC VIETNAM

I think the rig is a combination.... lateen in style.... 'junk' in construction ie with the panels..... see the photo I linked to earlier at #2 of a Halong Bay sailing junk.

This photo is much higher resolution and appears to show the same boat. A close up of the rig on the right doesn't show any sign of full length battens, and the sails obviously taper when furled. The Hailong Bay junk rig wouldn't look like that when furled, so I'd stick with lateen (or settee)

[Don C L]

Years ago I contemplated what the best rig for a dory might be... I like these! I had not seen the lateen junk before.