Iron-hulled boat builder!

(Baonghean) - After the Independence Day holiday, the small boat building workshop of the three brothers Lo Van Minh, Lo Van Tien, and Lo Van Truoc in Mon village (Thach Giam - Tuong Duong) was once again bustling with the sounds of hammering and welding. We visited the workshop, everyone was buried in their work. They were rushing to complete the new boat to deliver to the customer next week.

Growing up at the source of the Ca River, all three brothers were skilled at fishing. Regardless of their schooling, when they grew up, all three became good boat builders in the area. “Of course, at that time, we only built wooden boats,” Mr. Lo Van Minh stopped and shared. In the past, there was a lot of wood in the forests of Tuong Tuong mountain, so no one thought about building iron-hulled boats. Having a wooden boat with a 10 or 13 horsepower engine to run on the river to fish, transport goods, and transport people was already “cool”!

Iron-hulled boat building facility of Mr. Lo Van Minh.

Recently, wood has become scarce, while the wood used to build boats requires strong, flexible, and water-resistant wood, making it even harder to find. So, from the end of 2012, Mr. Minh and his brothers decided to "build iron boats". At first, they tried to find a source to buy thin iron sheets from Do Luong, then cut, bend, and hire welders. After mastering the electric welding technique, they bought welding equipment to make their own, which reduced costs. Initially, this group of family workers built iron-hulled boats solely for their own needs. After the first boat, they built two more, each person having one for themselves.

Iron-hulled boats cost more than wooden boats, but in return, they have outstanding advantages. Mr. Lo Van Tien contributed: "Iron boats have a lifespan equal to 3 wooden boats, and are lighter so they consume less fuel. If the materials are prepared, 3 active workers can complete one a week." To complete an iron-hulled boat, the cost is about 9 million VND; plus the cost of buying the engine, it is about 15, 16 million VND, equal to the cost of buying a motorbike...

After the first iron-hulled boats were “baked”, a number of people came to place orders. From mid-2013 until now, the three brothers have sold four iron-hulled boats. This group of craftsmen said that if more people place orders, they will invest in expanding production. In the future, the number of people using iron-hulled boats in the Xiangyang area will increase, because this type of vehicle has shown its superiority over wooden boats.

Article and photos:You Wei