The smallest boat used by Maldivians is called Bokkuraa. This is a small boat that move through the sea by using oars. An oar is a tool used to propel a boat through water. This boat has an easy motion through the water and, most importantly, glides between strokes. Thus, the boat’s forward motion never ceases; each stroke of the oar keeps the boat underway, and a steady tempo of strokes can be kept up hour after hour. The rower pushes the water backward with the oar, and the water pushes back with an equal and opposite force, propelling the boat forward.
Bokkuraa is normally used for reef fishing. Bokkuraa is propelled by four oars. Some Bokkuraas have two oars. Long poles are also used to push these vessels in shallow lagoons. A maximum of six people embark on these boats. This is the smallest and the most common traditional row boat. It was traditionally used for fishing near the reef and to commute between the shore and anchored fishing or trading vessels.
These boats are anchored in the lagoons. And in some islands Bokkuraas are beached after fishermen return from fishing. To begin the journey for fishing, they set off at dawn or at sunset. As fishermen row their way through the depths of the magnificent ocean, it is an experience that one cannot forget – through those journeys one can appreciate the sheer beauty and magnitude of this beautiful island nation. Most common types of fish caught using this method of fishing is Red Snapper (Raimas), Trevally (Handhi), Barracuda (Farutholhi) and Squirrelfish (Ankera). In addition to these fishes, Wahoo (Kurumas) is also caught using this technique. Sometimes trolling is also carried out using Bokkuraa. But pole-and-line fishing is not carried out on these boats.
