Treated Rubber Wood Canoe
Central Institute of Fisheries Technology has evolved a simple technology for development of traditional fishing canoe from the rubber wood, which comes as a waste from rubber plantations. Though rubber wood is comparable to many structural timbers in terms of mechanical properties and working qualities, it is highly perishable under marine conditions. The study proved rubber wood as suitable for construction of canoe after upgrading by chemical preservative treatment. The conventional prime quality boat building timbers are very scarce and have become very costly. Traditional fishermen using wooden canoe find it extremely difficult to afford the cost. The new technology can reduce construction cost of small canoes by 35-40%.
