Ruea Kap Kluai (Thai Banana-Sheath Boat) — a 30 cm Banana Leaf-Sheath Hull Carved in a Diamond Pattern, a Small Sheath Sail on a Stick at Midships, Raced in Flood Water

"Make it into a sail, with a trick to it: it must not be too large, and it should sit exactly in the middle, or the boat will capsize." (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, CC BY 4.0)

Cut banana leaf-sheath about 30 cm long, one sheath at a time.

With a sharp-pointed knife, pierce and carve the sheath into a pretty pattern, such as a diamond (lai khao lam tat).

Take a piece of sheath smaller than the hull, push it onto a stick and stand it up as the sail. It must not be too large and must sit exactly in the middle, or the boat will capsize.

Drawing of a banana-sheath boat (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, CC BY 4.0).

Float the boats in races in the rainy-season floods; thin, light, well-balanced boats float fastest. Children near water should be watched by an adult.

The banana-sheath boat is a toy from the banana plant, played with in flood season. Take care with the sharp-pointed knife, and watch children near water. Source: Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, Traditional Objects of Everyday Use database, "เรือกาบกล้วย" (CC BY 4.0 licence). **Limits** The source gives no sail size or stick length, and there is no listing for banana sheath, so it is named in the text.