Miniature Boat Museum: Maritime Classics in Microscopic Detail
Maneeya Dhammataree
For a unique insight into His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s early sailing experiences, consider a visit to the Miniature Boat Museum, which provides a fascinating insight into the development of His Majesty’s third sail boat - Micro Super Mod (‘powerful ant’).
In fact, there is an amazing true story attached to the connection between Kamol Weebulgijtanagorn, the late founder of the museum, and HM the King’s third sailing vessel.
Kamol, a master carpenter and boatbuilder, who was officially recognized as a National Remarkable Person under the category of Societal Development (1999), once lived in the building now used to house the museum that highlights his lifetime’s passion for miniature boats.
The passion of a lifetime
Tagorn Weebulgijtanagorn, Kamol’s son, says that in 1965, Kamol received the honor of learning about the construction of sailboats from HM the King.
The good fortune bestowed upon the Weebulgijtanagorn family name came about when HM the King designed Micro Super Mod, which was produced from a single piece of wood.
Prince Peerapong Panudej was the sole voice of opposition to the King’s design and so HM the King therefore urged the prince to build a boat and make any adjustments he may see fit in order to eventually compare it with the monarch’s vessel design.
Prince Peerapong was apparently rather uncertain about the boatbuilding aspects of this endeavor, so he tasked his friend Kamol to go and get some tips from the King. After the King shared his knowledge with Kamol, he urged Kamol to continue to pass on his newly-discovered boatbuilding knowledge to others.
Delicate details
Following this incredible development, Kamol chose to blend his love of sailing with his woodworking skills, first producing a miniature rowboat from off cuts of wood left at his home by a friend who owned a furniture factory. Within a short period of time, Kamol’s miniatures had become a hit among the foreign expatriate community, who considered his work to be particularly impressive and significant.
Twenty years on, Kamol was able to remember HM the King’s kindness and began passing on his miniature boatbuilding skills to his own son, and others. This mini shipyard has developed a growing reputation across the country since opening in 1986, and is often referred to as ‘the Tiny Boat Garage’.
As well a providing a display of numerous small scale vessels, it is also possible to join a free sailboat construction course here. Such initiatives can only help in trying to keep such knowledge and skills alive.
Each model is remarkable in its own way, either from a historical perspective or in keeping in singular detail with the original vessel design.
Tragic loss
One of the most significant exhibits is a model of Panmarut. This steamboat was used to tow the Royal vessel. The following story is one of the saddest in Royal Thai history.
Queen Sunantha Kumareerat (1860-1880) was a daughter of King Rama IV and wife of King Chulalongkorn the Great. After being drowned in a boating accident, a long-held Thai law was overturned. Since members of the public were prohibited from touching Royalty, nobody was in a position to offer assistance to the Queen when the maritime accident took place.
The miniature of Panmarut has a Royal connection since Kamol and Tagorn in 1997 decided to add a motor to the miniature boat and upgrade it in order that it could be controlled remotely. This soon caught the eye of Princess Bajra Kitiyabha, who took a real liking to it.
Provincial cruise
The father and son team went on to produce Suwanweejig, another historical vessel. This kind of vessel is known as a Sadej Prapartton, which is the category of boat used by King Chulalongkorn during his visits to the provinces. Adapted from a boat called a Maepa, produced by communities in Phitsanulok province, this kind of vessel is often referred to as a Hang Mangpong (‘Scorpion’s Tail’) due to its curved back and split end pointing upwards.
The miniature Suwanweejig was developed and produced by Miniature Boat Museum following an intensive period of thorough research and development.
Regal input
Another valuable set of models located at the museum are examples of the Mod, Super Mod, and Micro Super Mod, referred to earlier, which were all designed by the King.
It is possible to spot trends and developments in design, such as the centerboard, when examining the models on display.
The sail from 'MM2' (Micro Super Mod 2), the vessel Kamol and Prince Peerapong built to compete with MM1 (HM the King’s design) can also be viewed if you phone ahead in advance of your visit.
The museum also features examples of other Thai vessels, including chalom, grachang and sampan, along with Chinese-style boats, a Viking ship, along with more modern craft, such as a hydrofoil.
The boats are all crafted from teak, while unbleached silk thread is used to produce the various ropes and cables on board each vessel. The models differ greatly from balsa wood boats as they are built from a hard wood and so the preparation requires more complex and difficult handiwork, according to Tagorn.
Tagorn is currently working on a model of HM Bark Endeavor, the ship that Captain James Cook, the British navigator and explorer, used to reach Australia and New Zealand.
If you’re interested in getting a closer look at how the miniature ships and boats are crafted, it’s possible to arrange this by phoning ahead. To prepare such arrangements, please call Tel: +66 (0)81 815 4234.
Transport connections:
Bus: Take an air-conditioned bus No 518 from Victory Monument to Ramkamhaeng 174 Road.
If you walk for two to three minutes along the main road, you’ll see a large Buddha image on your right. Disembark and head for the street which has a corner right next to the Buddha, talk the next right turn and then keep walking for a few minutes until you reach Soi 22, which will be on the right-hand side. The museum is located at the end of this soi.
Credit: TAN Network (www.tannetwork.tv)
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