The Malay term ‘perahu’ is used broadly to describe the various small sailing boats used in the waters of Southeast Asia for transport and fishing purposes. Traditional perahu have hulls known as ‘pajala’ (meaning ‘for use with the throwing net’), where the stem and stern posts are joined to the keel in a smooth curve. Various methods of rigging the sail are used for the perahu, notably the ‘layar tanja’ rig, which is favoured by Bugis and Makassarese sailors. Perahu that have Western influences in their design are referred to as ‘perahu lambo’. Instead of having a traditional pajala hull, the hull of a perahu lambo is similar to that of European sailing vessels, with the stem-post meeting a straight keel at an angle (right foreground). It is also common for the perahu lambo to employ gaff-rigged sails similar to those found on the English North Sea herring drifter, which is a fishing craft dating from around 1890.
