Pulau Duyong

Pulau Duyong sits in the mouth of the Terengganu river and is known for boatbuilding: the yards here have been making wooden hulls for generations, and the traditional method is the point - the master builders work without drawings, shaping planks and fitting them by eye and by memory of proportion, building the shell first and inserting frames afterwards, which is the reverse of standard Western practice. The yards have built fishing boats, pinas and yachts, and commissions have come from abroad specifically for the hand method. The island also has the Terengganu state museum's older site, a fort remnant, kampung houses, and it was the base for the Monsoon Cup sailing regatta held here for several years. The bridge from town makes it an easy hour, and the yards can be looked into if you ask.

History

The island was once called Peria Island, after the bitter gourd it was thought to resemble, and was renamed Duyong, "mermaid", after islanders reported seeing two mermaids come ashore (Wikipedia, Duyong Island).

What's there

• Boats built without plans - shells shaped by eye, frames fitted afterwards.
• Working yards - hulls in build along the riverbank.
• Kampung houses - the village on the island under the bridge.
• The river mouth - the Terengganu estuary and the crossing to town.

When to go

All year; weekdays when the yards are working. Half a day.

What to expect

The yards are workplaces - ask before entering or photographing. Whether anything is in build depends on the day. The tradition is contracting as fibreglass takes over; some yards have closed.

Nearby

Kuala Terengganu, Chinatown and the drawbridge are just across the water.