Ghost Boat Fish Trap

"Fish that like to rest in shallow water ... hear the sound of the oar and see the lamplight shining on the bright white board, are startled and jump into the boat." (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, authors Kanok Khaomala and Phenrung Suriyakan, CC BY 4.0)

Lay the keel, set the frames, and plank the hull up to about 50 cm. Fit the thwarts, and lay boards over the bow and stern, leaving the middle of the boat open so fish can jump in. Make the stem from timber about 3 inches wide, and coat the wood with yang oil to preserve it.

Hang a board painted with white oil paint on both faces along one side of the boat. On the other side set bamboo poles and stretch a nylon net or fishing net about 1 metre high along the whole length.

At the stern, on the right, set a teak oar post about 1 metre tall. Make oar-post sockets (tao chaeo) on both sides so the rower can use either. The teak oar is about 3 metres long.

Photo of Uncle Pao's ghost boat and a drawing of its use (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, authors Kanok Khaomala and Phenrung Suriyakan, CC BY 4.0)

On a moonless night, hang two lamps or torches at the bow and stern. Row to the grassy shallows you have chosen and tilt the white board into the water at about 30 degrees. Fish resting in the shallows, such as hampala barb (pla kasup), silver barb (pla taphian), mud carp (pla soi) and pla kamang, are startled and jump into the boat. Those that jump too far hit the net and drop into the boat. The boat works quietly in the dark and other boats cannot see it, so there is a risk of collision: show lights at the bow and stern and watch out for long-tail boats.

Today some people use it by day, dragging a coconut frond across the water along the bank. Some boats carry an engine, switch it off on arrival and row quietly. Uncle Pao's boat was once hit by a long-tail boat. It is now shown at the Thai Boat Museum, Ayutthaya, because fish have declined through pollution and industry. The boat works quietly in the dark and other boats cannot see it, so there is a risk of collision: show lights at the bow and stern and watch out for long-tail boats. Source: Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, folk tools database, "เรือผีหลอก", authors Kanok Khaomala and Phenrung Suriyakan (CC BY 4.0 licence) **Limitation** The source does not give the size of the white board, the frame spacing, or how the hull planks are joined. There are no listings for teak, white oil paint or nylon net, so they are named in the text.