Catamaran

A catamaran is a type of boat (or occasionally ship) consisting of two hulls joined by a frame. Catamarans can be sail- or motor-powered. The word catamaran comes from the Tamil language, in which the word kattumaram means "logs bound together". The catamaran was the invention of the paravas, an aristocratic fishing community in the southern coast of Tamilnadu, India. Catamarans were used by the ancient Tamil Chola dynasty as early as 5th century AD for moving their fleets to conquer such south-east Asian regions as Burma, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Related Topics:
Boat - Ship - Hull - Sail - Motor - Tamil language - Paravas - Chola

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Catamarans are a relatively recent design of boat for both leisure and sport sailing, although they have been used for millennia in Oceania, where Polynesian catamarans allowed seafaring Polynesians to settle the world's most far-flung islands. Catamarans have been met by a degree of scepticism from some sailors accustomed to more "traditional" designs.

Related Topics:
Oceania - Polynesian catamaran - Polynesians

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