Catamaran Fishing Boats - Negombo

The Sri Lankan Muslim fishing community is among the top fishing communities using and producing traditional catamaran boats. For generations the abilities of producing the sails and boats have kept the tradition of using these

alive. Departing early morning everyday, these fisherman are on a hunt to catch prawns which helps them earn their share for the day. The men spend nearly 7 to 8 hours on the sea with harsh weather conditions, risking their lives as this is how they make their earning to feed the families. The uniqueness of this type

of fishing is, they use the sails stitched by themselves and the boats too built by themselves. The body of the catamaran and the side balancers are cut and carved with‘Domba’ wood (Calophyllum inophyllum) whereas the spar is made of strong bamboos. These fishermen make sure to follow the traditional art of building the catamarans the same way. At least four or more men needed to carry out the operation of a traditional catamaran, there is also a group of men who make a small earning by helping the fishermen drag the boats to the sea and ashore when necessary. Apart from many prawn farms situated around Negombo, there is a high market value for the prawns brought by these traditional boats daily. This is the perfect opportunity both tourists and locals get to taste the fresh prawns. As well as the traditional catamaran boats,It is b

eauty to observe the fishermen spending half of the day in the sea, earning a fair amount, enjoying the rest of the day by helping each other. This proves the true power of unity among this community.

Shouldn’t an appreciation be deserved for the tourist who observe this process 7 to 8 hours and the families who await the safe return of their loved ones?.

words by Khalid Ganthi