In Ship Shape Trivia Quiz

Answer: Three rows of oars

The name was derived from the Latin word 'triremis' meaning three rows of oars. The strength of the ancient Greek navy is attributed, at least in part, to its large fleet of triremes. These warships were lightweight and had a bronze-covered ram on the prow. The battering rams were usually carved to resemble the heads of different animals.

Answer: Bamboo

These boats are known as parisal and teppa in the regional languages of Tamil and Kannada respectively. In earlier times, the boats were made waterproof by using animal hides. These days it is more common for plastic sheets to be used for this purpose. Coracles have also been used in parts of the UK, especially Wales, and the term itself is believed to have been derived from the Welsh word 'cwrwgl'.

Answer: Thames

The wherry is a small boat similar to a skiff that was used to transport passengers and goods along the canals of England. These boats evolved to form the Thames skiff, a wooden rowing boat used to navigate along rivers.

Answer: Euterpe

The "Star of India" was built in 1863 in the Isle of Man. It was originally named Euterpe after the muse of music and poetry in Greek mythology. Her maiden voyage to India from Britain resulted in a collision off the coast of Wales and a subsequent mutiny by the crew. Her second trip was no less eventful with the ship being caught in a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal.

Answer: Maldives

The Maldives are a group of islands located in the Indian Ocean and the dhoni is a traditional fishing boat that has been used in the region for centuries. It is similar in shape to the dhow, a traditional sailing vessel of the Arabs. Due to the abundance of these trees, dhonis were built out of the wood of the coconut palm trees.

Answer: It is derived from Malayalam, a language of south India

The jangada is a small traditional fishing boat made of wood with a large triangular sail. The earliest written account of a jangada is found in a letter by Portugese explorer Pero Vaz de Caminha dated 1500 AD. The jangada was influenced by African and Indian cultures brought to the region by the Portuguese.

The name is believed to have been derived from the Malayalam word 'canaam' which itself was taken from the Sanskrit word 'saghaa' meaning 'joining together'. In earlier times, there was also a particular type of catamaran named jangada used in parts of south India.

Answer: Vikings

The knarr was built in the same method as the longships but was intended for longer sea voyages. The ships were primarily used as cargo vessels and transported different goods including ivory, timber and animal hides. They were commonly used to cross the Atlantic Ocean to reach the Viking settlements in North America.

Answer: Fiji

Druas were built by the indigenous islanders of Oceania before any contact with European civilization. A drua could be as large as 118 feet and could attain speeds of 10 knots. They were also used in naval battles. Druas were usually commissioned by the head chiefs of the villages and the launching of a new ship seemed to involve some element of human sacrifice.

The vessel is one of the most well known symbols of Fiji.

Answer: Brig

While brig is sometimes used as an abbreviated form of brigantine, the latter has only one square rigged mast, the forward one. The brig on the other hand has both its masts as square rigged. Brigs were used both as warships and merchant vessels. The pirate ship "Jolly Roger" in J. M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" is a well known fictional example of a brig.

Answer: A pair of eyes

Luzzu is pronounced as loot-su in Maltese and the boats are brightly painted in the traditional colours of blue, red and yellow. The symbol may have its origins in the ancient Egyptian symbol of protection called the Eye of Horus or Osiris which was also used by the Phoenicians and ancient Greeks.