Khlong boat taxis to get bigger, go farther - more quietly

[melvinmelvin]

SPEED BOATS (yes, pronounced speed boat in Thai)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[melvinmelvin]

LONGTAILS, RUUA HAENG YAO

no other boats than these are called longtail boats

 

 

[melvinmelvin]

SOONG DTON LEK (2 section small)

 

 

 

 

both boats above are soong dton lek - you can roughly see the size

next post I will explain why the name soong dton (2 section)

boat to the right belongs to Mr Teen, operating taxi from pibul 30.

 

boat to the left belongs to Mr Tee, the win at Tha Naam Bang Yai

 

 

 

 

 

above, another soong dton lek on its way to Non

 

 

[Nyezhov]

21 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

SOONG DTON LEK (2 section small)

 

 

 

 

both boats above are soong dton lek - you can roughly see the size

next post I will explain why the name soong dton (2 section)

boat to the right belongs to Mr Teen, operating taxi from pibul 30.

 

boat to the left belongs to Mr Tee, the win at Tha Naam Bang Yai

 

 

 

 

 

above, another soong dton lek on its way to Non

 

 

I saw those little speed boats running around up near the lad Khlong myom. The ones I see on the Khlong Dan look like western style boats.

 

regardless, you are an incredible resource on this issue and should be commended for contributing to this extremely valuable thread for those of us who are looking to explore the canals on our own.

[melvinmelvin]

SOONG DTON YAI (2 SECTION BIG) the ideal explorer

 

(well, in my view the ideal explorer would be a western aluminium thing with short stem outboard, about 15 foot.)

 

the pics below are of the same soong dton yai, slightly short of 9 m long

 

 

 

 

follow the bottom line

you see a sudden jump up,

there two sections of the under water hull are bolted together, ie 2 section / soong dton

you will also understand that the fore underwater hull is much deeper than the aft

the shape of the bottom is like a sea plane pontoon

 

 

 

 

here you see the same jump again

between the 7th and 8th fender

 

 

 

 

look at the side of the hull, in the purple part

about halfway you find a shiny steel circle - a bit aft of that and down ypu can see the same jump in the bottom profile

 

when these boats are planing the front part of the bottom is dry, the boats floats on the aft section only

 

 

[melvinmelvin]

another good photo revealing the bottom shape

and why the name soong dton

 

the boat below has a length of slightly more than 10  meters

 

here you will very clearly see the shift in the profile of the bottom

hence, 2 section

 

planing, front section dry - floating on aft section about 1 foot behind the shift

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[melvinmelvin]

5 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

I saw those little speed boats running around up near the lad Khlong myom. The ones I see on the Khlong Dan look like western style boats.

 

regardless, you are an incredible resource on this issue and should be commended for contributing to this extremely valuable thread for those of us who are looking to explore the canals on our own.

 

thanks,

more than happy to share experience

especially now when I'm idling waiting for ailments to be sorted so that I can continue with my hobbies.

have too much time on my hand now

next week hopefully I will be busy

 

[Nyezhov]

10 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

thanks,

more than happy to share experience

especially now when I'm idling waiting for ailments to be sorted so that I can continue with my hobbies.

have too much time on my hand now

next week hopefully I will be busy

 

Dont be too busy to pitch in here. You are the Ubon Joe of Thai boats! And get well soon!

[melvinmelvin]

25 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Dont be too busy to pitch in here. You are the Ubon Joe of Thai boats! And get well soon!

no, nee worry

 

I dont know if you're interest is more into the sight seeing side

or if you are interested in boats engines as such

 

if the latter, there is another thread here on TVF that goes more into boats/engines

 

  toyota-v8-exhaust-pipes-lengthsize                             is the name of the thread

 

its in the motor forum

 

(I have been running aluminium boats and fishing salmon in Alaska)

[Nyezhov]

2 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

no, nee worry

 

I dont know if you're interest is more into the sight seeing side

or if you are interested in boats engines as such

 

if the latter, there is another thread here on TVF that goes more into boats/engines

 

  toyota-v8-exhaust-pipes-lengthsize                             is the name of the thread

 

its in the motor forum

 

(I have been running aluminium boats and fishing salmon in Alaska)

No Im a sightseeer. I have been on a lot of boats though. The Alaska Aluminum! What a workhorse. 30 footers with triple 250s?

[melvinmelvin]

5 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

No Im a sightseeer. I have been on a lot of boats though. The Alaska Aluminum! What a workhorse. 30 footers with triple 250s?

right, hint taken, lower on tech more on view

 

anyway, Alaska, no way, ordinary 15-18 foot aluminium with 30 hp or so

many years ago when almost all flights northern Europe to hkg-tokyo-korea stopped in Anchorage for fuel

I was there several times a year

saw ads for stopover a few days combined with fishing/hunting from timber lodges

 

did that a few times - flown by chopper from Anch into the wilderness somewhere

large comfortable timber lodge - plenty dry martini

could go sight seeing - whale watching - hunting - fishing

I did some salmon/trout fishing

great stuff and pretty cheap

then choppered back to Anch, with frozen catches if you wanted

 

[melvinmelvin]

 

GUYS

 

Have to share this one with you.

 

When you are out boating, assuming wooden boats. Beware when you need to piss.

You know Thais are not shy, they just stop their car anywhere and piss - no sweat.

 

Don't do that, stand up and pee over the side. The driver would probably not say anything but would not be happy.

All boats have a plastic water bottle cut in half that you can use, empty over the side, rinse etc.

 

Why?

In the wood of the boat there is a bunch of spirits residing, called KoKo.

Their, the spirits, task is to cater for the safety of the boat the driver and the pax.

KoKo do not appreciate it when people piss over them.

 

Enjoy your ride.

 

[Nyezhov]

1 hour ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

GUYS

 

Have to share this one with you.

 

When you are out boating, assuming wooden boats. Beware when you need to piss.

You know Thais are not shy, they just stop their car anywhere and piss - no sweat.

 

Don't do that, stand up and pee over the side. The driver would probably not say anything but would not be happy.

All boats have a plastic water bottle cut in half that you can use, empty over the side, rinse etc.

 

Why?

In the wood of the boat there is a bunch of spirits residing, called KoKo.

Their, the spirits, task is to cater for the safety of the boat the driver and the pax.

KoKo do not appreciate it when people piss over them.

 

Enjoy your ride.

 

Wow. I wish the had multiple trophies to give for that post.

[thedemon]

On 11/11/2018 at 8:13 PM, melvinmelvin said:

 

had your own boat?

that is the way, very free to explore then

not expensive- but you need a place to keep it

and you need to go through the redtape of registration and getting licenses

 

 

 

Still have the boat, just don't get much time to use it. Yeah the boats themselves are not expensive (no import duties on boats/boat motors, only VAT) so 3-400k will get you a decent enough little speedboat (I mean what the rest of the world calls a speedboat). My boat stays permanently on a floating pontoon with electric hoist. That actually costs more than the boat but is much more convenient than a trailer.

 

I can't say the marine department redtape has ever been any hassle as they apparently offer 2 methods for getting legal. Even my wife has both the Certificate of Competency and Engineers ticket. If I were to start the engine for her, it wouldn't help much because I don't think she knows how to put it in gear.

[thedemon]

On 11/11/2018 at 9:54 PM, Nyezhov said:

Wouldnt it be better to run an impeller than a prop, or is there too much garbage in the water (meaning vegitation).

 

Isnt a 140 a bit much?

 

As Melvin says, it's the man-made garbage that is the problem not so much the hyacinth. The amount of water hyacinth depends on how much water is being released from the dams so it varies from almost none to seemingly almost covering the surface of the river. At speed I avoid it because, as Melvin also says, the clumps of it tend to collect other potentially nasty debris. Sometimes there is no choice but to go through it but it's just a case of slowing to a crawl. Mostly the hull will then displace it and the prop chomps the rest up easily.

 

The biggest hassle with an outboard is the discarded fishing nets. On the river/khlongs they are a very fine mesh and impossible to see. You don't feel or hear it either but it slides into the narrow gap between the forward end of your propeller hub and the rearward edge of your gearcase. Once there, it gets wrapped around the propshaft just behind the forward thrust washer, winds and winds around the shaft, heats up, melts, and then destroys the gearbox seal letting water into the gearbox. I have lost 1 gearbox already so now remove the prop regularly to remove the stuff.

 

Others have tried jetboats on the river. Yamaha make some great ones which you can buy used fairly cheap in Japan. They are not practical here though because too many discarded plastic bags which block the water intake.

 

Regarding the 140, I mainly use boat for small trips to restaurants with visiting family & friends. It has seating for 9 pax (a bit squeezed in) and fully loaded it struggles to get on the plane even at full power. So I wouldn't say that it is overpowered.

[thedemon]

On 11/12/2018 at 7:34 AM, melvinmelvin said:

 

generally

I think its most easy to screw a screw when you are maneuvering

in harbour, turning/parking etc

 

Yes I agree with that. I seem to bend props quite regularly with out even knowing that I have struck anything. Now I have a stainless prop which fares better but need to be careful with that as, if it strikes a rock or concrete it can snap the driveshaft - so I have been warned.

[thedemon]

On 11/12/2018 at 8:06 PM, melvinmelvin said:

 

thanks,

more than happy to share experience

especially now when I'm idling waiting for ailments to be sorted so that I can continue with my hobbies.

have too much time on my hand now

next week hopefully I will be busy

 

 

I have to agree with Nyezhov. You have more knowledge of the khlong network and surrounding life than anyone I have ever met, Thai or foreign. Quite amazing!

 

Hope the ailments are sorted asap.

[melvinmelvin]

28 minutes ago, thedemon said:

 

Yes I agree with that. I seem to bend props quite regularly with out even knowing that I have struck anything. Now I have a stainless prop which fares better but need to be careful with that as, if it strikes a rock or concrete it can snap the driveshaft - so I have been warned.

and stainless props are rather costly

 

 

[thedemon]

51 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

and stainless props are rather costly

 

 

 

True. I bought that one in NZ for approx THB20k. It is vulnerable to theft too because only need a pair of pliers to remove the split-pin and it's off. I have suffered some petty theft of tools inside the boat but - touch wood - they haven't taken the stainless prop yet. It's painted black so perhaps that helps not to draw attention.

[melvinmelvin]

Today, Loy Kratong. Interesting to live in/by a canal,

 

Since 0600 very lively, very, in the canal.

Loads and loads of longtail boats and work boats parading up and down.

Many very nicely decorated for the occasion.

 

Monks in all of them, collecting alms and gifts.  Quite cool.

 

wonder where all the longtails come from, no way all these belong in klong Oom.

 

[Nyezhov]

29 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

Today, Loy Kratong. Interesting to live in/by a canal,

 

Since 0600 very lively, very, in the canal.

Loads and loads of longtail boats and work boats parading up and down.

Many very nicely decorated for the occasion.

 

Monks in all of them, collecting alms and gifts.  Quite cool.

 

wonder where all the longtails come from, no way all these belong in klong Oom.

 

Im still trying to decide where to go. Iconsiam is having a fest, but its going to be very tourist oriented and packed, although I can get a nice smoothie and sit in the ac or have a seat when I get wore out (taking pics is hard). Plus world class Hong Nams. But Im thinking Wat Kayalanamit or Wat Prayun, both of whom have events supposedly and Wat Kayalanamit is on the Bankok Noi mouth. Plus you have a Wat on the other side and the Fort.

 

Seems to me that would be far more local and its only 3 klicks from the WongwianYai BTS or 2.4 klicks from Wongwianyai Train station so its easy for me to get to.

 

What do you think? Im going to try to get out of here at 3ish....

[melvinmelvin]

3 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Im still trying to decide where to go. Iconsiam is having a fest, but its going to be very tourist oriented and packed, although I can get a nice smoothie and sit in the ac or have a seat when I get wore out (taking pics is hard). Plus world class Hong Nams. But Im thinking Wat Kayalanamit or Wat Prayun, both of whom have events supposedly and Wat Kayalanamit is on the Bankok Noi mouth. Plus you have a Wat on the other side and the Fort.

 

Seems to me that would be far more local and its only 3 klicks from the WongwianYai BTS or 2.4 klicks from Wongwianyai Train station so its easy for me to get to.

 

What do you think? Im going to try to get out of here at 3ish....

Guess I would have opted for mouth of Bangkok Noi.

Close by you also have the  King's boat museum, north shore.

And just south of Pin Klao express pier you have some thai restaurants.

you can walk from the pier to the boat museum

 

When darkness approaches or has arrived I guess plenty of locas will launch floats with candles,

maybe not in Noi, too much traf. and waves.

[Nyezhov]

6 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

Guess I would have opted for mouth of Bangkok Noi.

Close by you also have the  King's boat museum, north shore.

And just south of Pin Klao express pier you have some thai restaurants.

you can walk from the pier to the boat museum

 

When darkness approaches or has arrived I guess plenty of locas will launch floats with candles,

maybe not in Noi, too much traf. and waves.

You think the Yai will not be good? Im sorry I called the Yai the Noi, it is on the mouth of the Yai, not Noi.  According to what I read, Wat Kayalanamit is one of the listed venues on "where to go". I know they will be launching in IconSiam, I saw all the fancy Embassy Krathongs, I just wanted something more local. I was there last night to watch the shows, it was all pretty nice but "touristy". I wonder if they will be launching along the Yai or the Phasi Chaoren, its just that the piers are very small, my original thought was Wat Khun Chan or Paknam where the Yai, Khlong Dan and Phasi Charoen meet. Plus there is Wat Intharam on the Yai

[melvinmelvin]

19 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

You think the Yai will not be good? Im sorry I called the Yai the Noi, it is on the mouth of the Yai, not Noi.  According to what I read, Wat Kayalanamit is one of the listed venues on "where to go". I know they will be launching in IconSiam, I saw all the fancy Embassy Krathongs, I just wanted something more local. I was there last night to watch the shows, it was all pretty nice but "touristy". I wonder if they will be launching along the Yai or the Phasi Chaoren, its just that the piers are very small, my original thought was Wat Khun Chan or Paknam where the Yai, Khlong Dan and Phasi Charoen meet. Plus there is Wat Intharam on the Yai

long time since I have been down that way, but your PakNaam idea sounds quite OK

 

do you know wat Sai?

 

 

[Nyezhov]

14 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

long time since I have been down that way, but your PakNaam idea sounds quite OK

 

do you know wat Sai?

 

 

Ive passed it on the train down to Maha Chai. Its not far.

[melvinmelvin]

20 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Ive passed it on the train down to Maha Chai. Its not far.

 

hmmm,

must be a different one (or slightly differently pronounced, tones etc)

 

the one I had in mind is a short distance down from Yai,

right hand side of a canal leading down towards klong sapha samit and the sea

 

wat  hua krabue should be considered for a visit,

not necessarily today

especially if you have any interest in vintage cars

wat canals planes and cars, all in one go

 

[Nyezhov]

36 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

hmmm,

must be a different one (or slightly differently pronounced, tones etc)

 

the one I had in mind is a short distance down from Yai,

right hand side of a canal leading down towards klong sapha samit and the sea

 

wat  hua krabue should be considered for a visit,

not necessarily today

especially if you have any interest in vintage cars

wat canals planes and cars, all in one go

 

Cant seem to locate, do you have some coordinates?

[melvinmelvin]

13 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Cant seem to locate, do you have some coordinates?

 

hua krabue

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=wat+hua+krabue+bangkok&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b

 

 

[melvinmelvin]

16 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Cant seem to locate, do you have some coordinates?

 

wat sai

 

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b&ei=Ji_2W9qGHZGQvQTPvpaACA&q=wat+sai+bangkok&oq=wat+sai+bangkok&gs_l=psy-ab.3...93525.104480..107604...0.0..0.0.0.......0....1..gws-wiz.GIDYdOsu_DQ

 

this is in Chong Thom, likely the one you observe from the train

 

mine is further east and south

 

 

[melvinmelvin]

19 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

wat sai

 

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b&ei=Ji_2W9qGHZGQvQTPvpaACA&q=wat+sai+bangkok&oq=wat+sai+bangkok&gs_l=psy-ab.3...93525.104480..107604...0.0..0.0.0.......0....1..gws-wiz.GIDYdOsu_DQ

 

this is in Chong Thom, likely the one you observe from the train

 

mine is further east and south

 

 

 

change of mind,

having consulted my excellent paper map, doesn't have geo. coords, I found it

probably the same as above

 

fromg the southernmost point in Yai

there is a klong going off in the ssw direction

about 2.5 clicks down the canal - wat sai