Costa Rica and Panama Dugout Canoes
Noah Edwards
This model represents a canoe from Costa Rica and is very similar to the ulus and cayucos found along the Caribbean coast of Panama. Ulus are dugout canoes used by the Guna people of Panama as transport between their island homes and the mainland of Panama where they farm, gather water, and obtain supplies (Brunazzi 2018). The model does divert from ulus in one key aspect. Ulus use sails as a means of propulsion, but the model canoe does not have any rigging. Cayucos are dugout canoes that are also used by indigenous groups in Panama including the Emberá, Ngobe, Naso (Teribes) and Kunas (Cayucopedia 2007). Cayucos around usually 20 feet or longer in length allowing them to carry more than two people and are used to transport valuable supplies along rivers and the coasts as well as participate in fishing (Cayucopedia 2007). Unlike ulus, these dugouts do not have rigging for sails much like the model and are usually propelled using paddles.
Bibliography
Brunazzi, Fabio 2018 The Canoes of Guna Yala. Small Boats Magazine. June. https://smallboatsmonthly.com/article/guna-yala/
2007 Cayuco. Cayucopedia. March 27. https://www.cayucopedia.org/wiki/Cayuco
Ulus in Panama (Brunazzi 2018)
Construction of a Cayuco in Panama (Cayucopedia 2007)
The Boat below is a double ender, dugout canoe from Costa Rica meant for travel along rivers and coastlines. The bow is only slightly more shaped for going through the water, making it hard to distinguish which end is the bow and which is the stern. The canoe has low sides and a flat bottom. The flat bottom results in a medium chine. There is a crack in the wood on the starboard side near the stern. The canoe was 28.5 cm long from bow to stern and 8 cm wide.
Profile view
Plan View
Bow View