Write an article of about 150-200 words on the houseboats of Kerala. The article should follow the rules of Article Writing.
You can use the below-mentioned points to build your article:
• Traditional name of the houseboat
• Its history and its origin
• Structural details
• Traditional uses
• Its use in the current times
Answers
Answer:
• Its use in the current times
Answer:
A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Some houseboats are not motorized, because they are usually moored, kept stationary at a fixed point and often tethered to land to provide utilities. However, many are capable of operation under their own power. Float house is a Canadian and American term for a house on a float (raft); a rough house may be called a shanty boat.[1] In Western countries, houseboats tend to be either owned privately or rented out to holiday-goers, and on some canals in Europe, people dwell in houseboats all year round. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, Amsterdam, London, and Paris. The history of such boats in Kerala goes back to Uru, a large Dhow-type wooden ship made by the carpenters in Beypore, south of Kozhikode port. The art of Uru making in Beypore, on the northern coast of Kerala, is believed to be as old as the beginnings of India’s maritime trade with Mesopotamia. Islands dotting the Chaliyar river are believed to be continued the tradition for over a millennium. [3] The teak was taken from Nilambur teak forests in earlier times, but now imported Malaysian teak is used. Boats in a variety of shapes and sizes have traditionally been the main means of transport of men and materials in the Kerala backwaters since olden days. In particular, the house boats were used to ship rice and spices and other goods between Kuttanad and the Cochin port. It was a three-day affair in those days. A standard house boat, which could be about 100 feet long, can hold up to 30 tons, about as much as three big lorries can carry. For the royalty these boats even became comfortable living quarters.It was the important mode of transportation in coastal Kerala just because of its accessibility to the most remote areas. However, the scenario changed. Motorized road, rail and air transportation scored over the slow and staid country boat, with people opting for speed. These are the structural terms used to describe the parts of a houseboat:
Bow - The front of the boat (which usually comes to a V-shape)
Stern - The back of the boat
Forward - Moving toward the bow
Aft - Moving toward the stern
Port - If you're facing the front of the boat, the left side of the boat
Starboard - If you're facing the front of the boat, the right side of the boat
Amidships - The middle of the boat
Beam - The widest part of the boat
Draft - The depth of the boat