I would like to thank you Cristoph for your efforts and interest in making the Malay Jong. Thank you for reminding us Malays about our dying culture as well as educating others about the unique production of this amazing boat.
Hi Jamil, thank you for your interest in this project and your friendly comments. We are based in LAngkawi and when you go there, one day, drop by and have a look.
a real beauty of the seas. Hope more young people will learn and master the art of this type of shipbuilding in Trengganu before it dissappears. Kudos to you Herr Christop and thanks for sharing. old sea salt/mcca
i live in this state and somehow i just now about this handmade jong (ship), its wonderful! i really hope this ancient technology being keep well preserved. and thank you Mr.Swoboda for introducing our culture to the world.
I'm were there during construction, as a kid love to play around that site, The workmanship are amazing, outside skin feels like concrete although it's from wood, beautiful inside and outside, built for lasting forever. Now days cannot find that kind of skills anymore.
This documentary almost brings me tears.. as a malay, i feel so sad to know that we will lost this tradition as the time and generations change. heard that there is little efforts to have younger people to stay in this. Pulau Duyung once had more than dozen builder since hundred of years history, now only left to 2 that still actively
Incredible video and such a privilege to see these talented craftsmen working. The foreman's skill is impressive, especially his ability to smoke hands-free.
Thank you for your kind comment. Yes, this gifted craftsman, Hassan bin Ali, was a dedicated tobacco aficionado and well versed in the art of consuming cigarettes. Check out our website: naga-pelangi.com/
Thank you for your comment. Glad you like it. Check my website: www.naga-pelangi.com and watch the sailing clip as well: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jb9FBwQxO4Y.html
yeah, they must teaching for new generation on keeping the legacy of Malay's making traditional ships crafts... and the new generation supposedly seek for older generation for survivability our Malay's heritages....
@@MultiNakhoda His comment is written in a colloquial style. My English is not that good but this is what he's saying: kalu bab buat boat = When it comes to boat building mmg tabik la ganu. = Indeed [we] salute Terengganu. otai2 sane masih ada. = The old-timers [expert boat builders] are still there respek for ganu... = Respect for Terengganu... This is truly an awesome piece of documentary. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you Kay, yes, respect for the old craftsmen of Terengganu. My favourite one was Che Ali who built my first Naga Pelangi in 1980! And as a young man he built the BOLEH (google that one) in Singapore for English commander Kilroy.
@@MultiNakhoda che Ali or che Ali RIDA is my great-grandfather...I watch Naga Pelangi 2 from beginning to end because every day in my childhood I go to that shipyard...my father's grandchild to che Ali and nephew to che Hasan, che Ahmad and che Yusuf inside you video...all of them has pass away...
This is the way to do this 100%! True craftsman working on this piece of art! I bet having it built out there it cost 1/4 of what it would cost in the states. True beautiful boat
It is not possible to build in the West because this technique of building a wooden boat, fire bending the planks and joining them with wooden dowels is unknown in our countries. But surely the workmanship was not as costly as workmanship is in the West. 30.000 work hours were used to build the boat.
possibly the most beautiful boat i have ever seen! wonderful to have filmed these amazing hardworking people, creating something so (superlatives fail me,)
That is a very nice compliment. Yes these Malay craftsmen were true masters of their trade and they created a boat that many people enjoy. Tell your friends!
There are no workers in the western world that build this size boat as a full-time job. Glad somewhere this is still done and the craftsmanship is exceptional, bravo Malay!
They still build wooden boats in Europe in a few places, Italy for example, but very high class, very expensive, yes, normal wooden boat building is dead in the western world. Thank you for taking some interest.
Yes it is, tell your politicians to do something about saving this heritage! Only very few craftsmen still alive and already old, no young ones in sight.
Great you liked it! Thank you for your kind comments. Tell your friends to have a look and check: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jb9FBwQxO4Y.html
Beautiful piece of maritime historical artifact is preserved for many years to come. Thanks to the builder and owner involved to bring history to reality.
You are welcome, glad you liked it. Invite your friends to have a look and see the sailing of the boat: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jb9FBwQxO4Y.html as well
2018 - still watching this beautifully masterpiece from Terengganu Malaysia... Hope more Western People to come over and built this more masterpiece....
No more coming, Chengal is too expensive now and no more craftsmen left. Maybe this NAga Pelangi will remain the last traditional Malay sailing boat - perahu besar - of that size, some smaller ones are still around, chartering in Phuket: June Bathra
Hi Mr Christoph, I truly wanna say thank you for sharing such a wonderful video. As a Terengganu people, I’m super proud of our old folks - the wisdoms, knowledge, hands-on skills that they have, no doubt they’re the priceless gems. Once again, thank you for your contributions to raise awareness among the youngsters of our own heritage. Terima kasih! May you have a great day ahead and stay safe too! p.s. would love to pay a visit to see Naga Pelangi II itself.
Hi there, thank you very much for your kind comments. Currently the boat is in Langkawi and I am traing to sell her. But nobody in Malaysia seems to be interested to buy this icon of the boat building heritage. Check our website: www.naga-pelangi.com and the film sailing the boat: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jb9FBwQxO4Y.html&lc=Ugzkj93KIaew0UFls-h4AaABAg
@@blueocean2510 yes, the timber is in very good condition, on our facebook page you can see the pictures of the haul-out in 2022: facebook.com/nagapelangisailingcruises/. for price, check: naga-pelangi.com/for-sale-the-naga-pelangi/
@@blueocean2510 yes, the timber is in very good condition. You can see the last haul out in 2022 on our facebook page: facebook.com/nagapelangisailingcruises/ For price please check: naga-pelangi.com/for-sale-the-naga-pelangi/
@@StephenMortimer????the Wikings built which way? They used wooden dowels to assemble their planks edge on edge? Very interesting. Please elaborate. Where did you see that? The world will be interested to get to know more about this. They used caulking bark as a caulking material? I did not know that. Please let me know which bark they were using…from which tree?
Beautful shape and lines, elegant....That edge bevel scribe is pure genius, I will use that for sure, its bloody perfect doing both scribes in one pass
Thank you, glad you liked it. This ancient technique was the standard here in the Malay cultural sphere. And it works well...many pictures on my website: www.naga-pelangi.com
Cheers Christoph for this awesome Documentary , I have recently come into possession of the 32 ft bedar Burong Bahari . She needs some work after sinking at a marina in Darwin Australia . Your Documentary has given me valuable information as well as some much needed inspiration to continue this restoration
Fantastic! It was Jerry Williams who gave me a lift on his Burong Bahri and took me from Bali to Kuala Terengganu in 1979 where he introduced me to the boat builders and I started building my first Naga Pelangi. What is your e-mail address? I will send you some pics of the Burong, beautiful boat! My e-mail: christoph@naga-pelangi.com.
@@MultiNakhoda Cheers mate my e mail is brendanfreeman01@gmail.com Im still at the disassembly stage at the moment , removing 4.5 tons of steel crane counter weights from under the floor . The tops of 2 main beams have sustained some damage , It was a moisture pit down there due to the congestion of the weights . The Chengal planks are still in good condition . I'll send some photos of my journey so far.
Fantastic video! Sadly to know that the Terangganu people no more master to build their heritage. Maybe due to cost of wood skyrocketing make less demand and craftsman turn to other job. Also probably rivalry of modern fiber & steel boat which more practical to build/operate turned off this traditional boat.
Yes, wood got rather expensive and todays young people rather work in an aircon environment sitting on a computer. Nobody needs traditional wooden boats anymore. Too bad, an old tradition dying.
You are welcome...yes, this ancient technique was the standard here in the Malay cultural sphere. And it works well...many pictures on my website: www.naga-pelangi.com
Thank you Mr. Swoboda for this wonderful video. May I ask, how long and wide is this boat in the video and how much timber did you use for her construction?
Magnificent indeed...tears dropping imagining Giant Malay Jongs out in numbers before 1500 , how I wonder the Elephants carried out their duties as active crews on board the Giant Jongs..
at the time of the Chinese admiral Zheng He or Cheng Ho (around 1400 A.D.), who visited Kuala Terengganu, (there is a temple up river dedicated to him) the place seems to have been an export harbour for big timber maybe to build the fleet in China. There is some evidence that hugh ships were build in Terengganu as well.
Admiral Cheng Ho may have purchased a lot timbers and perhaps commission the Malays to built giant ships for the Emperor too. I strongly believed that the Malays were the pioneers to sail in flotilla of giants ships be it for state visits or trade. One would wonder such gigantic ships ported in Ports in daylight and caused the entire port be cloudy on that particular day. I reckoned that they would not allow other ships to port where they have anchored their giant ships. Perhaps after the Malay Admiral have came down from the cora cora barges down to the beach head with their elephants and hearses ,the position of all the ships ported with changes from the port position to a starboard position but anchored with all cannon gunner opened outwards towards the open seas protecting the Admiral's Ghali , other dignitaries ships and the Port itself.
@@siemensdimensions6989 There is no evidence of such "giant" ships and the Malays were never in the business of doing boat building on that scale. It was not necessary for their sultans who ruled over a river estuary to have giant ships. They would not have a technology to build anything near that. The ancient and highly developed civilisation of the Chinese who were building the great wall and things like that, they had technologies allowing them to build big things. In the museum of Terengganu one can inspect the old wooden palaces "istana" the Malays were building: beautiful but nothing "giant."
Thank you for sharing the process of making your beautiful vessel. I noticed several of the technics are similar to the ones used by the Bugis people of Indonesia. They sure have a wonderful craft.
Yes, this technique, building the planks first with wooden dowels and inserting the frames (ribs) later is standard throughout the archipelago they called "The Malay Archipelago" in former times. All decendants of the "Protomalay Migrations" seem to practise this technique, some space the dowels closer some work finer using power tools, some use the caulking bark etc. Bugis are the famous boat builders of Indonesia. The Malays of Terengganu state were the last builders of Malaysia to practise this art.
A very interesting subject, some genetic research claims that even the Polynesians are related to the Protomalays. Could well be, they were great seafarers. Protomalays even reached Madagascar. Very deplorable that this tradition is practically extinct in Malaysia, they embrace our way of life these days. Some traditional fishing techniques of the Malays are very interesting as well: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YaudK1-xUBA.html
Stunningly beautiful boat, meticulous craftsmanship-- appears she will last for many decades, looking majestic and graceful. I can't imagine the cost of this, but I hope the investment did more than build one boat-- perhaps reviving an industry.
Thank you for your kind comments. Yes, boats made of Chengal wood can last a very long time if properly maintained. Unfortunately the boat building of Duyong island did not survive. The Chengal wood became very expensive, driving the cost of building a Chengal boat out of the market. Probably the Naga Pelangi will remain the last "perahu besar" (big boat) that came out of this center of Malay craftsmanship!
Such a shame to hear the Duyong island boat building tradition has died out-- perhaps I should have anticipated that (the entire world trade structure has become market-driven... maximize profit margins, etc). And with the Chengal wood being so hard and tough on tools, well, that spells its own doom. Many large wooden boats use timbers made of purple-heart wood, now, which is tough but easier on tools (I believe that is sustainably harvested in Africa, if I recall correctly). At any rate, I see Naga Pelangi as a fitting swan-song to that long and proud and brilliantly-crafted line of incredibly strong vessels. The men who crafted her can stand tall as the last of a shining era-- even as they may feel sorrow to see it go. (I admit: I feel much sorrow for this.) Surely, these talented craftsmen can focus their talents elsewhere. Some of them will certainly be needed to maintain and repair the last of these boats (think about it: Western wooden boat builders would be confounded by the construction, finding it difficult to repair such vessels as the Naga Pelangi). Forgive my long prattle. I'm truly touched by the beauty and inherent strength of these boats-- and by the men who created them. Again: what a sweet swan-song Naga Pelangi is for this traditional era. And you made it happen! Bless you, sir...
@@shaddec55 none of those heavy hard woods can be grown sustainably...to get a Teak or a Chenggal tree with a diameter to cut a proper wooden plank of you need a few hundred years of growing...nobody will do...and these days, the young people, in Malaysia too, want to have a bureau job with aircon and a computer, not a sweaty manual labour job. You can not find the manpower any more to build a boat... It is a pity, but the normal development. Three of the craftsmen building Naga Pelangi, all brothers, died in the last years. There are a tiny handful of able craftsmen left on the island...thats it.
Hi David, the caulking bark is a weak point, but if the antifouling is done right and the boat is not out on the dry for longer periods it lasts 30-40 years. Then one would have to recaulk the traditional western way. One can not compare with the Pinisi boats from Indonesia. They are good and sound sailing boats - built for cargo - but the craftsmanship is very much rougher. Much rougher!
Christoph Swoboda, Thank you Christopher, Your video was informative, entertaining but makes me want one. Thats a sure sign of a successful video. I had wanted to know abour the bark caulking for a long time. I suspect that the barks properties are like that of Birch bark as used in the traditional canoes of North American native peoples. These last for a very long tine if cared for. Thanks again and best wished, David Culpepper, West Palm Beach, Fl. USA.
Hi David, I think the bark might be different to the bark the native Americans used for skinning their canus. This bark here soaks up a lot of water, just like blotting paper, swells up and therefore seals the seam between the planks. The bark of Birch should repel the water, not soak it up I presume. But both are inventions of archaic people, testimony to their ingenuity and proof that stone age technology can rival modern inventions or even surpass them.
Great documentary and beautiful craft at work Mr. Swoboda . I hav bn hunting to hav a close look at the Naga Pelangi and Bedar. You must be the owner. ! Amazing to watch you , master builder and craftsmen at work. Before Corvid 19- my friends and i were looking for Malay ship to photograph as cgi model for historical film . There were sightings reported of Bedar ( n Naga Pelangi ?) In langkawin.. My friends tried to locate for me but failed. Will you be in langkawi or terengganu again at some stage? Enjoyed this doco tremendously. Congratulations , a bit late i guess . But thanks so much for sharing .
Hello, yes, we are based in Langkawi - check website:www.naga-pelangi.com - since 2010. Now during the lockdown, there is no charter business going on. Before, un til last year April we were working with the Datai Hotel here in Langkawi. There is no Bedar in Langkawi, but only my boat which is a Terengganu style Pinas and another Pinas type boat which was built in Terengganu as well but she was neglected and sank 3 weeks ago here in the harbour. Send me your contact details, e.mail, then I can send you some pictures. My e-mail you will find on my website.
Malay Ship are different from European, Arab, Chinese. that why they are called sea people. Malay, Javanese, Bugis, Bajau, Iranun, are master of the sea. Borobudur ship is example of Austronesian sea voyage, more advance than vikings ship before European
Yes, the forefathers of today's Malay people, the Protomalay people who started colonising the whole archipelago 4.000 years ago and ventured into the Pacific and the Indian Ocean until Madagascar were arguably the greatest seafarers.
Christoph, I see the Naga Pelangi is now for sale. Might I ask why you're selling her? I really enjoyed this video of her build. Remarkable craftsmanship, and beautiful lines in the finished boat. What did her LOA end up being?
We are intending to sell because time is taking it's toll. I am getting older and she is a big ship. The length over all is 97 feet. check the website: www.naga-pelangi.com. Much information there.
