60' Vietnamese Seine Boats (2000)

Phu Quoc Island seine boats are a distinctive Vietnamese fishing boat found along the Gulf of Thailand coast, particularly fishing from the island harbor at Duong Dong. They differ from typical Vietnamese motor fishing vessels, built more for speed than carrying capacity, they are shallower, have easy bilges and long flat runs aft. They are very well built, with hardwood timber, galvanized bolts for bolted connections, but are largely fastened with trunnels. Unlike most Vietnamese fishing boats this size, their frames are tapered from the floor timbers up to the frame heads, for lightness. These days, after caulking they are routinely covered with a heavy layer of fiberglass (mat and polyester resin) from their rails on down, the whole exterior of the hull. They fish for anchovies and deliver their catches directly to the island’s fish sauce factories. In fact, the factories commonly build and own their boats. Even though they all have power blocks now to dry out their nets, still, they ship crews of 10 to 12 men to manage the catch and to set and flake down the net as the set is completed.