Tongkang

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Tongkang or "Tong'kang" was a type of light wooden boat used commonly in the early 19th century to carry goods along rivers in the Malay Archipelago.The tongkang was an unmotorised open cargo boat, propelled by a variety of methods, including rowing, punt poles and sail.The early tongkangs were about 20 ton burthen or less; they were propelled by about ten rowers and guided by a steersman. Long punt poles were used to propel them in shallower water. The size of the tongkang increased around 1860.The tongkang was one of the two traditional Malay ships using Junk Rig with local hulls instead of the Chinese Junk hull. Its hull design was more reminiscent of the dhow type used in South Asia and Western Asia than to the common Chinese or Far-eastern type. Besides the Junk Rig, the ketch rig was also used on the tongkang. The last tongkangs in Singapore were towed by a motorised launch.