Yvo and utiket

A Prideful Ship of Indonesia

A Prideful Ship of Indonesia

27 Sep 2013 08:36:00

A prideful traditional sailing ship of Indonesia, is Pinisi ship. The ship is originated from Bugis and Makassar tribe in South Sulawesi. Although there are many ship workshops in South Sulawesi, but the most famous place is located in Tana Beru, Bonto Bahari sub-district, Bulukumba district. Pinisi ships usually have two main masts and seven sailcloths divided into three sailcloths at the stem end, two screens at stem and two screen at stern. The two main poles in pinisi ship symbolizes two creed sentences of Islam, while the seven pieces of sailcloths represent the number surah (letter in Qur’an) Al-Fatihah verses. But the seven sailcloths can also be interpreted that the ancestors of Indonesia had successfully sailed the world's seven great oceans. The ship is usually used to transport goods among islands in Indonesia.

Since around the 14th century, Pinisi ship has already existed and sailed exploring the world's oceans. This is reinforced by a story written in the script of Lontarak I Babad La Lagaligo, one greatest literary works of Bugis. According to the manuscript, Pinisi ship was made by a crown prince of Luwu, namely Sawerigading. It is said that the ship was made of very-sturdy and won't easily get broken tree, namely welengreng tree ( gods tree ) that would be used to go to Tiongkok and propose a Tiongkok princess named We Cudai.

This Pinisi ship is very special because it is made by the expert hands traditionally without using modern equipment and with no guiding image at all. While shipbuilding materials usually used are iron wood or teak wood. Although only made of wood, but the greatness of this Pinisi ship is doubtless. Weight of a ship can reach up to hundreds tons. The process of making a Pinisi ship usually requires a special ceremony or special ritual.

The first phase of the making process is cutting "lunas" (keel). Keel is the most basic part of a Pinisi ship. This cutting keel process can only be done by a ship diviner. While the offerings used in ritual are offerings that usually taste sweet and a white rooster. Sweet offerings have meaning and hope that the ship will be made later can bring blessings while a white rooster tied to the keel and hoping that there won't be blood shed or victims during the shipbuilding process. Cutting "lunas" itself is done in two places, at the  stem (front) and stern (rear). Results from the front cutting will be thrown into the sea symbolizing that the ship will be fused into the open sea, while the rear will remain on the ground symbolizing that no matter how far this ship sails, it will eventually get back to shore.

When the shipbuilding process has entered the final stage, namely the launch, there will be a ceremony called Appasili held which has a function to deny bad luck. Then it’s continued with a ceremony called Ammossi, getting the keel at the center and then pull the ship into the sea.

Pinisi ship is divided into two types, namely Lamba / Lambo, a modern Pinisi ship equipped with a diesel engine and Palari, a Pinisi ship with the shaping curve keel smaller than Lamba. As the time goes by, other than as a transport ship, there are many Pinisi ships in modern times that have also been as cruise ship with luxurious interiors. So it is appropriate that we are proud of this typical ship of Indonesia.

Related posts