Vessel Design

The construction of the working boats on the Mekong reflects the scrappy ingenuity of the Vietnamese that build and operate them — Retro-fitted Toyota truck prop engines, re-used rubber tire fenders, bamboo pole and re-used industrial plastic/fabric canopies. No vessel is complete without painted eyes on the bow to ward off evil spirits. When we expressed interest into the purpose of the graphic marking, our captain explained and then asked “What do you paint on your boats to insure good luck?” Um … Silly boating logotypes and government licenses ?

Originally published at danparham.com.