It's a lovely feeling to stand on the beach watch watching a white sailing barge showing off like a pearl in the sea! Until a few decades ago, boom Lenj boats were the constant companions of Iranian sailors' journeys. Boom, is the most beautiful type of wooden Lenj boat, which has been used by Iranian sailors in many long journeys due to it's special design.
About the design of Boom:
بسیاری، مردم حاشیه‌ی خلیج فارس و دریای عمان را دنیادیده‌ترین مردمان ایران قدیم می‌خوانند! چرا که آنان از هزاران سال پیش با لنج‌های خود تا دوردست‌ترین نقاط دنیا سفر کرده و به دیدار ناشناخته‌ها می‌رفتند. در طول سالیان دراز دریانوردی و صید و تجارت در دریا، این مردمان با توجه به نیاز خود دست به ساخت جهازات متنوعی زدند که یک از آنها بوم است. لنج بوم را، بر خلاف دیگر لنج‌های ایرانی که قسمت انتهاییشان تخت است، از دو طرف تیز می‌سازند. این امر باعث می‌شود تا لنج آیرودینامیک بهتری برای حرکت در امواج داشته باشد و گزینه‌ی مناسبی برای سفرهای اقیانوسی به شمار بیاید. در جلوی لنج بوم، چوب بلندی نصب می‌شود که به آن “ساطور” گفته می‌شود و اندازه‌ی آن متناسب با اندازه لنج متغیر است.
In addition to giving a beautiful look to the Boom, "Satur" also helps the lenj boat to maintain it's balance. The interesting point about Boom lenj boat and other Iranian barges is the absence of any written plans in their construction. The design of these boats is only in the master's mind and has it's own calculation formula. Of course, the absence of a paper map in recent years has somehow contributed to the forgetting of Iran's traditional lenj boat making! The techniques and skills of lenj boat building and traditional seafaring in Iran have always been passed down orally from father to son. But with the modernization of the seafaring method, sea voyages gradually took on a new form and thus this transmission chain was lost.
Now, for nearly five decades, there is no news of Iranian barges in the sea. The young generation of seafarers do not show much interest in traditional seafaring for several reasons; The old sailors have forgotten many of their lessons due to old age and being away from the sea. And for this reason, many old Iranian wooden barges have either been completely forgotten or, like Boom lenj boat, are in danger of being completely forgotten.
Revival of traditional seafaring through marine tourism is possible!
The city of Kong has been one of the most important maritime ports of Iran in the last century. There are many barge-making workshops in this city and in a way we can say that Kong is the last city where you can find Iran's maritime heritage. But if no action is taken to preserve and remember this heritage, it's extinction will not be far from the mind. In many Persian Gulf countries such as Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, activities have started to restore barges and turn them into new tools for marine tourism. The benefits of creating this new type of tourism are not hidden to anyone, and it can keep Iran's traditional seafaring alive. In addition, the creation of this form of tourism can lead to the restoration and launch of more sailing barges.