Banting is a traditional boat from Aceh, Indonesia.[1] It is also used in other areas near Malacca strait, such as Johor, where they are called "fast boat". Eredia's account of Malacca (1613) described banting of Ujontana (Malay peninsula) as a kind of skiff, smaller than jalea, carrying oars and 2 masts, with 2 rudders (one on both sides), and used for naval warfare.[2] [3]
In Johor, they are dugout canoe with long, sharp, hollow bow, with hollow, sharp floor.[4] Banting is an open boat, with the inside of gunwales or ribbands fitted with holes for thole pins. It has two masts and bowsprit; carries two loosefooted balance lug (or settee) sails and small jib. Mitman recorded a banting's dimensions as follows: 33feet LOA; 5feet width; 2feet depth. The bowsprit protrude 10inches over the bow; the foremast is 10feet above gunwale. The yard of foresail is 16feet in length. The mainmast is 12feet above the gunwale, with 20feet yard.[5]
In 1902 H. Warington Smyth stated that the banting was frequently used by traders from Aceh; he further describes the boat as a two-masted trader type, built of giam wood. The boat's dimension was 90feet long, 27feet wide, 7feet depth, 2feet freeboard; it had a capacity of 12 koyan (29 tons) and the number of on-board crew was 6. The length of the mainmast was 50feet.[6]