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Paraw (also spelledparao) are various doubleoutrigger sail boats in thePhilippines. It is a general term (similar to the termbangka) and thus can refer to a range of ship types, from small fishing canoes to large merchantlashed-lug plank boats (balangay orbaloto) with two outriggers (katig) propelled by sails (usually a largecrab-claw sail opposite a smaller triangularforesail)
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The wordparaw (also spelledparao) is acognate of the termsproa of thePacific Islands, andperahu orprau ofMalay-Indonesia. It is likely ultimately derived from theProto-Western-Malayo-Polynesiandoublets *parahu and *padaw (the former derived fromProto-Malayo-Polynesian*paraqu), both meaning "sailboat". It refers tooutrigger boats propelled by sails (layag). It is a type ofbangka, the wider term used for boats (with or without outriggers) in the Philippines.
The paraw has three major elements that make it a paraw: thebangka (canoe or main hull), thekatig (outriggers), and thelayag (sails). Motorized versions of bangkas (with outriggers) are commonly known aspump boats and are used for inter-island travel.
Paraws can sail between 11 and 17 knots (20~31 km/h). The outriggers (ama), orkatig, are made of wood or bamboo, and may be straight or curved upward much likeskis.
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Traditionally these boats have been made fromdungon,guisoc,ipil, duca, baslayan, obacya, bayog,Philippine mahogany (lawaan), basa andmolave. Modern versions useplywood. The ropes of the boats are traditionally made fromabaca (Manila hemp), but are now often synthetic rope.
The main hull (excluding outriggers) is called abangka fordugout canoes orbaloto (alsobalangay,baroto,biroko,biray, etc.) for hulls made of planks secured with lashed lugs. The boat itself may be classified by passenger capacity asisahan ('for one [person]') orduwahan ('for two [persons]'), but the paraw usually has capacity for more than two people, leading to its use in ferrying small groups of passengers and goods between islands. The narrow cross-section of the boat made it sleek, cutting across water without a lot of drag.
The twokatig or outriggers usually made from bamboo or various kinds of wood and served as counterpoise so that the boat would not easily overturn. They are attached to the boat viatarik (akas). The presence of the outriggers negates the need for a heavy keel and therefore reduces the overall weight of the paraw without sacrificing stability.
Thelayag ormain sail may be made of anything from woven mats, cloth, canvas even sack cloth. Traditionally the main sail is similar to a lateen rig or a crabclaw sail and is attached to a vertical and horizontal spar, the sail differs from a traditional lateen rig in that the vertical spar is parallel to the mast and does not suffer from bad tack. The sail's spar may be as long as the mast, unattached and may appear to be longer than the mast when attached to it. There are no guidelines as to how the main sail is shaped but it may approximate an equilateral triangle. The paraw is also equipped with a foresail or jib and adds to the overall surface area and generated thrust derived from the wind. A variation of the paraw with rectangular sails is thevinta.
The mast, commonly made of bamboo, is secured by lines attached to, among other things, the outriggers, the fore (and sometimes, the aft) and various parts of the boat. Historically, the mast of smaller paraws was a spear orbangkaw and was a useful part of the ship when conducting raids against other seaside villages.
In November 2012, a team led by the artisan Gener Paduga, along with theTao Philippines organization, started building a full-sized paraw sailboat inPalawan. Paduga originally envisioned the project while crewing a sailing yacht from Palawan to Africa. After having witnessed the thriving native sailing traditions in the Indian Ocean, he decided to revive the almost extinct native boat-building and sailing traditions of the Philippines. Sailing ships, which were once used throughout the islands, were in steep decline after engines became widely available in the 1970s.[1][2]
The team consisted of several traditional boat carpenters from the islands ofCagayancillo andRomblon. The boat was constructed entirely using native techniques and also featured intricate designs by two master carvers of the nativePalaw'an people. The boat was completed in March 2014 and was officially named theBalatik, after a traditional Filipinoconstellation (equivalent toOrion's Belt) named after ahunter's trapping device. It is 74 ft (23 m) long and 9 ft (2.7 m) at the widest point of the hull.[1][3][2] It has twomasts with four sails and could be crewed by three or four people. The boat is currently used both for tourism and for educational and social welfare projects of the Tao Kalahi Foundation in Palawan.[4]
TheParaw Regatta, largest sailboat race in the Philippines and the oldest in Asia, is held annually since 1973. It is a 36.5 kilometer race held inArevalo district inIloilo City.
BeforeBoracay Island became a tourist spot, paraws were used for fishing and transportation of people as well as goods. Paraw sailing these days is a major tourist attraction. Local sailors offer their paraws forisland hopping and sunset sailing for a fairly small rental fee.
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