Product Code Database
The vinta is a traditional outrigger boat from the Philippine island of Mindanao. The boats are made by Sama-Bajau, Tausug people and living in the Sulu Archipelago, Zamboanga peninsula, and southern Mindanao. It is also made by the Sama-Bajau that lived in east coast of Sabah, Malaysia. Vinta are characterized by their colorful tanja sail ( bukay) and bifurcated and , which resemble the gaping mouth of a crocodile. Vinta are used as fishing vessels, cargo ships, and houseboats. Smaller undecorated versions of the vinta used for fishing and transportation are known as tondaan and bogo-lamak.
The name "vinta" is predominantly used in Zamboanga, Basilan, and other parts of mainland Mindanao. It is also known as pilang or pelang among the Sama-Bajau of the Tawi-Tawi islands; dapang or depang among the Tausug language in Sulu; balanda or binta among the Yakan language in Basilan; and bogo-lamak among the Sama-Bajau in the east coast of Sabah. It can also be generically referred to as lepa-lepa, sakayan, or bangka, which are native names for small outrigger vessels.
Vinta have two bamboo outrigger floats ( katig) which are supported by booms ( batangan). Large boats can have as many as four batangan for each outrigger. The floats are slightly diagonal, with the front tips wider apart than the rear tips. The front tips of the floats also extend past the prow and curve upwards, while the rear tips do not extend beyond the stern. Additional booms ( sa'am) also extend out from the hull and the main booms. These provide support for a covering of planks ( lantay) which serve as extensions of the deck.
Vinta are usually rigged with a tanja sail locally known as bukay, on a biped mast slotted near the front section. These are traditionally decorated with colorful vertical strips of the traditional Sama-Bajau colors of red, blue, green, yellow, and white. The patterns and colors used are usually specific to a particular family or clan. Traditional vinta sails, like other sails of traditional Filipino vessels use woven mats ( banig) of pandanus leaves.
Smaller sailing versions of the vinta used for fishing and transportation are known as "tondaan" or "bogo-lamak". They are usually undecorated and lack the upper prow and stern attachments. The tondaan are rigged with a mast and a sail at all times, though a temporary palau can be erected amidships if necessary. Bogo-lamak on the other hand can't be installed with temporary palau but they are built with detachable mast and sail. Modern vinta are usually tondaan or bogo-lamak instead of the larger houseboats. Like other traditional boats in the Philippines since the 1970s, they are almost always motorized and have largely lost their sails. The modern bogo-lamak from Sabah, Malaysia are also converted into Pump boat which still use sail to save it's engine fuel. The sail will be used when there's a strong wind current and with this condition, it can even beat the engine power of the pumpboat itself.
Along with the balangay, lightly armed vinta were also used in the civilian squadrons of the Marina Sutil ("Light Navy") of Zamboanga City and Spanish-controlled settlements in Mindanao and the Visayas in the late 18th to early 19th centuries, as defense fleets against Moro Raiders.
Zamboanga City celebrates vintas in the annual Regatta de Zamboanga during the city's Zamboanga Hermosa Festival each October. The participants are usually Sama-Bajau fishermen from the coastal areas of Zamboanga. Many of these modern "vinta" however, are not vinta, but are other types of bangka (like bigiw) that merely use a vinta-patterned sail (often non-functional).
In 2016, Jolo, Sulu, also started holding an annual Vinta Festival each February 14.
|
|
