Kalulis
Traditional Indonesian interisland boat from the Kei islands.
Kalulis is a type of traditional boat from eastern Indonesia, mainly built in the Kei islands southeast of Seram. It is used for interinsular transport and is known by several names, including perahu kalulis, ang kalulis, kalulus, and kulis. These boats are not suited for long-haul voyages between the Moluccas, Sulawesi, and Java.
- Type
- Traditional boat
- Origin
- Kei islands, eastern Indonesia
- Length
- 4.5 to 14 m
- Beam-to-length ratio
- 1:2.33 to 1:3
- Average depth
- 1.3 m (for 5.25–7.5 m long boats)
- Rig
- Tanja rig on 1 or 2 masts
- Steering
- Double lateral rudders (later replaced by centerline rudder)
Lore & Background
Kalulis boats are fairly shallow and beamy, rigged with tanja sails on one or two masts, presumably in tripod form. They are steered using double lateral rudders and have a deckhouse. The planks are internally dowelled with lugs; historically, they were lashed with fiber through carved lugs, a technique that disappeared in the Kei islands during the 1940s. Lengths range from 4.5 to 14 m, with beam-to-length ratios varying between 1:2.33 and 1:3. For boats 5.25–7.5 m long, average depth is 1.3 m.
Reader's Guide
Since 1945, kalulis have been fitted with fixed wooden ribs (gading) and have 5–8 planks. Materials changed over time: ropes originally made from coconut husk (tali utis) and gemutu (tali nauk) were replaced by polypropylene; sails of sago leaf matting or karoro were replaced by cotton or polypropylene cloth, sometimes polyethylene sheets. Modern boats use gaff and gunter (nade) rig, and double lateral rudders (cangkilan) have generally been replaced by a centerline rudder. Because they lack a keel, stability is an issue, making them unsuitable for voyages between main Indonesian islands. They are used for middle-distance journeys between Geser, Gorom, Watubela, Teor, Kei, Tayandu, Aru, and Papuan coasts, transporting passengers and cargo, and occasionally for fishing, turtle hunting, and collecting agar-agar. They are the traditional mainstay for sago inter-island trade. A replica named Alfred Wallace was built by Tim Severin for 'The Spice Islands Voyage,' reenacting naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace's voyage; the 14-metre craft was much smaller than those generally used by Wallace and included modern adaptations such as satellite communications, a wind generator, and a nine-horsepower emergency motor.
Did You Know?
- Kalulis is also known as perahu kalulis, ang kalulis, kalulus, and kulis.
- The technique of lashing planks with fiber through carved lugs disappeared in the Kei islands during the 1940s.
- Modern kalulis have replaced double lateral rudders with a centerline rudder.
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