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A lancang (also written lanchang or lancha) is a type of sailing ship from Maritime Southeast Asia. It is used as warship, lighter, and as royal ship, particularly used by the people of Sumatran east coast, but can also be found in the coast of Kalimantan.


Etymology

The name comes from the Malay word ''lancang'' which means "swift".


Design and construction

The earliest mention of the ''lancang'' is from Julah inscription dated 844 Saka (923 AD), which explains the orders of the King
Sri Ugrasena Sang Ratu Sri Ugrasena was a Balinese king who is thought to have ruled between 837-864 Saka, or 915-942 CE. The capital of his kingdom was in Singhamandawa. The king issued several inscriptions regarding various activities of his people, including ...
on certain rules. The inscription mentions terms for boats such as "lancang", " parahu", "
jukung A jukung or kano, also known as cadik is a small wooden Indonesian outrigger canoe. It is a traditional fishing boat, but newer uses include "Jukung Dives", using the boat as a vehicle for small groups of SCUBA divers. The double outrigger jukun ...
", "talaka", "bahitra", and " jong". It is the oldest form of boat building in the Indonesian archipelago and has been recorded in Gilimanuk,
Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and N ...
. The boat builders are known as ''undagi lancang''. According to the ''Ngantang'' inscription, ''lancang'' were also used in Majapahit-controlled areas. The ''lancang'' of this era has no sails. ''Lancang'' have overhanging square sterns above a sharp waterline stern. ''Lancang'' usually have 2 masts, but single and tri-masted vessels are also recorded. Historically they were steered using double quarter rudders, but in the 18th century they also used axial rudders mounted at the sternpost. The smallest ''lancang'' were 5 ''depa'' (9.1 m) long, with a 1 ''depa'' (1.8 m) beam,
draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...
of 1.5 ft (46 cm), and a 4 ft (1.2 m) freeboard. These smaller boats could carry cargo of around 5 ''pikul'' (312.5 kg) and were crewed by 4 men, while the largest may have reached about 26 m long, based on the Sambirejo shipwreck. ''Lancang'' from older era is rigged using
tanja sail Tanja sail ( Malay: ''layar tanjak'') or tanja rig is a type of sail commonly used by the Austronesian people, particularly in Maritime Southeast Asia. It is also known as the tilted square sail, canted rectangular sail, rectangular balance lug, ...
s, but dipping lug sails or fore-and-aft sails are used after the arrival of the European. ''Lancang'' has " clipper" bow, with triangular fore-gallery for anchor, which also acts as
bowsprit The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a spar extending forward from the vessel's prow. The bowsprit is typically held down by a bobstay that counteracts the forces from the forestays. The word ''bowsprit'' is thought to originate from the Middle ...
.
Headsail A sail plan is a description of the specific ways that a sailing craft is rigged. Also, the term "sail plan" is a graphic depiction of the arrangement of the sails for a given sailing craft.> In the English language, ships were usually describe ...
s may be used at the bow. The hull is carvel-built, built with style very similar to European ships. They are usually armed with
pivot gun A pivot gun was a type of cannon mounted on a fixed central emplacement which permitted it to be moved through a wide horizontal arc. They were a common weapon aboard ships and in land fortifications for several centuries but became obsolete aft ...
s. In Bandar, Malaysia, a type of ''lancang'' called ''lancang To'Aru'' is built.''To'Aru'' was one of the council of four great chiefs of Selangor, who in former days had much power, and to whom was entrusted the election of the Sultan. ''To'Aru'' was the most powerful of these four great chiefs, and took his name from a district called Aru, in Sumatra, from which he came over to settle in Selangor. Aru is probably the same as the word "Aru" (also eru or 'ru), which means a casuarina-tree. Bandar was the name of the place (on the Langat River) where ''To'Aru'' lived (Smyth, 1902: 580). It is similar to ''lancang'' in hull, but with projecting or hanging rectangular platform over the bow, in which two swivel guns are mounted. The sail is using fore-and-aft sail in gaff and boom on two masts. Boats which such rig on the east coast of
Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
generally carry long topmasts and jib-booms for light-weather sails.


Uses

''Lancang'' were primarily used for war and as merchant vessels. Portuguese records mentioned their use as
barge Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels ...
s or lighters. The intercourse with European people decreased
Singaporean Singaporeans, or the Singaporean people, refers to citizens or people who identify with the sovereign island city-state of Singapore. Singapore is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual country. Singaporeans of Chinese, Malay, Ind ...
piracy in 1820s, although it still exist, using smaller ships than formerly used, for several decades to come. Around Singaporean waters, Malay pirates used ''lanchang'' carrying 25–30 men, with shallow draft, making them easy to conceal in mangroves. They generally used ''lancang'' between 15 and 18 m long, 3.4–4 m in beam, and with 1.5–2.1 m draft. In the 20th century, Malay states used ''lancang'' as cargo boats. Along the Sumatran coast,
ethnic Malay Malays ( ms, Orang Melayu, Jawi: أورڠ ملايو) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to eastern Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and coastal Borneo, as well as the smaller islands that lie between these locations — areas that are col ...
rajas (kings) used them as state ships. In Selangor, this royal vessel is dedicated to the service of the spirits, also called ''kapal hantu'' (ghost ship), which are laden with offerings, then set adrift to propitiate the demons of the sea. In Sumatra and Kalimantan, ''lancang'' play an important role in harvesting ceremonies and sometimes the boats are used in offering ceremonies to the god. Sometimes dragon heads are carved on the bow as a representation of power that maintains humans' safety.


In traditional culture

In
Riau Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. The province shares land borders with North Sumatra to the northwest, West Sumatra to the west, and Jambi to the south. Accordi ...
, Indonesia, a traditional story of the ''lancang kuning'' (yellow lancang) was taken as a metaphor for the ruler's power and the state. A popular (poem) explains this:
''Lancang kuning berlayar malam''
''Haluan menuju ke laut dalam''
''Kalau nakhoda kurang paham''
''Alamat kapal akan tenggelam''
Translation:
The ''lancang kuning'' sails at night
Her bows towards high seas
If her skipper is ignorant
She is bound to be wrecked


See also

*
Lancaran ''Colotomy'' is an Indonesian description of the rhythmic and metric patterns of gamelan music. It refers to the use of specific instruments to mark off nested time intervals, or the process of dividing rhythmic time into such nested cycles. I ...
*
Lanong ''Lanong'' were large outrigger warships used by the Iranun and the Banguingui people of the Philippines. They could reach up to in length and had two biped shear masts which doubled as boarding ladders. They also had one to three banks of oars ...
*
Banting Banting is a town and the seat of Kuala Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia. Banting has a population of 93,497. The postal code for Banting is 42700 and is administered by the Zone of 15 and 19 of the Kuala Langat Municipal Council. It is situa ...
* Bajak *
Sampan panjang Sampan panjang was a type of Malay fast boat from the 19th century. It was used especially by the sampan-men, or "Orang Laut" (lit. "sea people"). Historically, they can be found in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. This type of boat was used by ...


Note


References

{{Indonesian traditional vessels Merchant sailing ship types Naval sailing ship types Indonesian inventions Sailboat types Two-masted ships Three-masted ships Indigenous boats Warships