Boom (ship)
Encyclopedia
A boom , known as dhangi in India
, is a medium-sized deep-sea dhow
, a traditional Arabic sailing vessel.
This type of dhow has two masts with lateen sails. a stern that is tapering in shape and a more symmetrical overall structure than other dhow types. The Arab boom has a very high prow, which is trimmed in the India
n version.
The boom replaced the heavier baghlah
s and ghanjah
s which were more difficult to maneuver. Booms were mainly built in Beypore
, Konkan
and Gujarat, India
, and Kuwait
and are primarily used along the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula
, Sindh
, the west coast of the Indian Subcontinent
, and East Africa
.
Nowadays some booms have been converted into motorboat
s after being fitted with engines instead of sails, especially in the Gulf area
.
A boom in full sail is represented in the Emblem of Kuwait, emphasizing its traditional importance in the country, where it was used to carry fresh water and in the pearl
industry, as well as a trading ship.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, is a medium-sized deep-sea dhow
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
, a traditional Arabic sailing vessel.
This type of dhow has two masts with lateen sails. a stern that is tapering in shape and a more symmetrical overall structure than other dhow types. The Arab boom has a very high prow, which is trimmed in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n version.
The boom replaced the heavier baghlah
Baghlah
A baghlah, bagala or baggala is a large deep-sea dhow, a traditional Arabic sailing vessel. The name "baghla" means "mule" in the Arabic language.-Description:...
s and ghanjah
Ghanjah
A ghanjah or ganja , also known as kotiya in India, is a large wooden trading dhow, a traditional Arabic sailing vessel.-Description:...
s which were more difficult to maneuver. Booms were mainly built in Beypore
Beypore
Beypore or Beypur is a ancient port town and part of Calicut municipal corporation in Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India. The place was formerly known as Vaypura / Vadaparappanad. Tippu Sultan named the town “Sultan Pattanam”.This place also has a marina and a beautiful beach...
, Konkan
Konkan
The Konkan also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore...
and Gujarat, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and are primarily used along the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, the west coast of the Indian Subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
, and East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
.
Nowadays some booms have been converted into motorboat
Motorboat
A motorboat is a boat which is powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit.An inboard/outboard contains a hybrid of a...
s after being fitted with engines instead of sails, especially in the Gulf area
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
.
A boom in full sail is represented in the Emblem of Kuwait, emphasizing its traditional importance in the country, where it was used to carry fresh water and in the pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
industry, as well as a trading ship.
Further reading
- Clifford W. Hawkins, The dhow: an illustrated history of the dhow and its world.