Plywood boats
Practical Action
Parallel to this development in CAT came an offer to the BBC Muttom from British naval
architect Edwin Gifford and the Intermediate Technology Development Group –ITDG (now
Practical Action) to build and test some prototypes of a new beach landing craft fabricated in
marine plywood using a technique called 'stitch and glue' (see box). Gillet saw that this boat-
building technology could be key to realising their own ideas, and accepted the Gifford-ITDG
proposal.
Having mastered the new technology, the plan for the 'ideal' craft was revived. News of the
new craft spread rapidly along the coast by word-of-mouth, and the cost of Rs7500 (in 1982
prices) seemed well within the reach of the fishermen. Firm orders from kattumaram
fishermen was proof of this.
The instant success of the 'kottarkat' made BBC Muttom and CAT more confident and open to
the requests from other fishermen using different types of traditional crafts. The next request
came from fishermen who wanted a replacement for their dug-out canoes, as large tree trunks
were in very short supply as a result of heavy deforestation. A plywood vallam (see photo)
made using the stitch-and-glue technique was a possible solution. It would have to be stable,
with good rowing and sailing efficiency, and be able to take an outboard motor (OBM).
By the end of 1982, BBC Muttom had designed a new plywood vallam and had outstanding
orders for 26 kottarkats. The rising demand for the new boats was a reflection of both the
technical soundness and the commercial viability of the boat yard. An old experiment was
slowly turning into a successful innovation.
Promoting the innovation
The enthusiasm of the fishermen for the new plywood boats was also the result of several
supply and demand factors not directly related to Muttom.
First, there was the decline in the amount of fish landed by the artisanal fishermen
between 1975 and 1980. The fishermen attributed this to the destructive fishing of
the trawlers.
Secondly, as a result of this perception, there were conflicts at sea, and trawlers were
attacked. But artisanal fishermen felt that it was not enough to curb the trawlers,
they had to fish better too. Mechanical propulsion was the only way to achieve this.
Thirdly, the government's liberal 1980 import policy resulted in the availability of
OBMs in the open market.
Fourthly, the price of traditional craft spiralled because of the acute shortage of light
wood and large trees. Fishermen who were still using the centuries-old craft design
became more open to adopting new models and using new materials.
Commercially feasible
By early 1983, these macro
conditions and the situation along
the south-west coast region
combined to really launch the PWB
commercially. In fact the demand
for the plywood boats brought with
it a host of new, unanticipated sup-
ply problems.
The need for the present boat-
building set-up to work
commercially raised a number of
questions: What institutional
framework would allow expanded
activity in the future? How should
finance questions be resolved?
Should the designs be patented to
ensure that the new technology
remained in the control of those
3
Fibreglass tape on
epoxy glue
Wire ties about
every 20 cm
Tie hammered down
Tie cut-off, edge
rounded, joint filled
with resin and
Fibreglass tape and
epoxy resin
Figsularteed3u:stTohreeppolxyywpouotyd sheets are stitched together using
wire ties and covered with resin and fibreglass tape