Boats, Ghe Bau (merchant ships)

Boats and Ghe Bau are the means of catching seafood and transporting goods at sea for fishermen in the provinces of Viet Nam South Central Coast. A large Ghe Bau can be up to 16m long and 4m wide, medium ones are about 11-12m, often used in long-term fishing catch. Ghe Bau usually contains 3 compartments including the berth, the trunk and the roof. Sails, oars, and rudders help the boat move on the sea by harnessing the power of the wind.

From the mid-19th century onwards, every year the feudal state of Viet Nam used boats and Ghe Bau of fishermen in the South Central Coast, especially Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh provinces, to transport soldiers and sailors to Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos to carry out the tasks of managing, exploiting and protecting these two important archipelagos.