20' Cambodian Mekong Motor-Canoe (2000)

On the Mekong River north as far as the Lao border there is a species of motorized river canoe that is extraordinary for its slenderness and the care and beauty of its construction. On a river where so much is purely driven by budget (tiny) and utility, these boars are beautifully built and lovingly kept up. They frequently carry several people and nearly fly with only a single crew aboard. They are all powered by small gas engines mounted in “long tail” or “mud motor” arrangements right aft, and given the flexibility of the motor arrangement, they can run in very shallow water and trim out beautifully flat. For the riverbank people here they serve the function of motorbike or family car.