Design and Construction of Traditional Fishing Boat in Jepara in the Context

Article

Komunitas: International Journal of Design and Construction of Indonesian Society and Culture 12(2) (2020): 209-215 DOI:10.15294/komunitas.v12i2.18937 Traditional Fishing Boat in © 2020 Semarang State University, Indonesia p-ISSN 2086 - 5465 | e-ISSN 2460-7320 Jepara in the Context of http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/komunitas Cultural Ecology: UNNES JOURNALS The Implication as Arts Learning Resources

Eko Sugiarto¹, Triyanto², Mujiyono³

1,2,3Department of Visual Art, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia

Received: February 25th 2019; Accepted: March 01st 2020; Published: September 30th 2020

Abstract The existence of a traditional fisherman community in Jepara is proven based on the system of equipment or technology of fishing vessels. As part that is familiar with the life of the fishing community, this phenomenon is very interesting as well as important to be studied more deeply in the context of the north coast Javanese sub-culture. Based on that, this study aims to explain: (1) the design of fishing boat construction as a representation of the technology system of traditional fishing communities in Jepara, (2) the ecological aspect of the north coast Javanese sub-culture includes the process of creating traditional fishing boat in Jepara communities, and (3) wisdom potential in traditional ship design as learning resources. This study uses a qualitative approach with case study design. The data is collected through interviews, observations and document reviews, and analyzed by using flow mode. The results of the study will provide an empirical explanation of the construction design and boat creation technology in the ecological perspective of the north coast Javanese sub-culture. Traditional ship design in Jepara is potential as learning resources to create the value of cooperation, openness, communication and religious.

Keywords art; boat; cultural ecology; design; traditional fishermen

INTRODUCTION the marine life of the Indonesian people has been around for a long time (Naila, 2014:2). The design of construction and technology It is evidenced by the findings of prehistoric for the creation of fishing vessels is a cultural and historic sites. heritage that presents the prowess of Indo- The seafront city shows the pheno- nesian ancestors (people say that Indonesi- menon of urban culture and maritime cul- an ancestors were seamen). The greatness of ture that is full of symbols and traditions the maritime fleet even became the unifica- in its culture. The harmonious of maritime tion of the Archipelago by Majapahit. Since culture and urban culture offers a different the 9th century AD, the Indonesian people perspective. According to Konvitz, maritime have sailed far away by boat. They went to cities are defined as “Urban maritime cultu- the north across the sea, they went to the Corresponding author west across the Indian ocean up to Madagas- Gedung B9 FBS UNNES Kampsu Sekaran Gunungpati car, and they went to the east to Easter Is- Semarang 50229 land (Naila, 2014:2). The history records that Email [email protected] Komunitas: International Journal of Indonesian Society and Culture 12(12) (2020): 209-215 210 re” (Masimo, 2014). Jepara as the north coast with local affordability (Savin, 2013; - Gul of Java (Pantura) is one of the maritime rep- brandsen, 2004). resentation of Indonesia. Jepara is located The construction design and techno- in the political territory of the Central Java logy for the creation of fishing vessels in Je- province, precisely it is located in the north para show a variety of uniqueness, so that it coast of Central Java. In the cultural context, is interesting and important to be studied Jepara and its surroundings are included in deeply. Fishing vessels that function as fis- the central north subcultural with Kendal, hing have been used in Jepara in a long time Semarang, Kudus, Demak, Pati, and Rem- to carry out fishing activities at sea. The fis- bang. hing vessel equipment is one of the impor- The maritime greatness of Jepara was tant aspects in fishing activity because it is well known in the Islamic era, namely Je- one of the technical units that determine para became a very famous port and trade the success of fishing. city (Kartodirdjo, 1977). The Jepara’s mariti- The life activities of fishermen related me glory can still be felt to this day in the to traditional shipping of construction de- form of the existence of a fishermen com- sign and technology for the creation of fis- munity group which is passed down from hing vessels in Jepara can be concluded as generation to generation in the fishermen a part that familiar with fishermen commu- families. The existence of a traditional fis- nity. If it is referred to the cultural compo- hermen community in Jepara cannot be nent, everything that is related to the equip- separated from the equipment or techno- ment of the fishing community is included logy system of fishing vessels. The ship that in the cultural field, especially in the living is studied in this study is a traditional ship equipment and technology system (see Ko- or in Javanese referred to a boat. It can be entjaraningrat, 2002). Based on this state- categorized into ship with engines and ship ment, the object of this study was examined without engines (Djafar, 2009). In additi- interdisciplinarily by using cultural theory, on to boats, traditional ship in Indonesia especially cultural ecology to position it in in the context of ethnological have many the central north Javanese coastal sub-cul- names in each area, namely in Cilacap, it ture. In the explaination of cultural ecology, is called jukung, in East Java, it is called ke- technology aspect and characteristics of the tinting, and in Madura, it is called butek. physical natural environment are connected In around the world, the design and con- with technologi system. Therefore, this struction for traditional wooden boats have phenomenon is very interesting and impor- developed over the centuries. The design tant to be studied in deeply. In particular, was designed by considering local fishing this paper questions the creation of fishing method, the distance to fishing area, and vessels as a representation of living equip- the availability of building materials. In ad- ment and technology systems in the context dition, there are also modern technology of Jepara coastal culture. equipment that is also influenced by foreign This study is related to the study of designs (Savin, 20013). traditional shipping equipment and techno- In the archipelago area, there is a st- logy system in the context of the north coast rong tradition of building traditional woo- Javanese subculture. Theoretically, this stu- den boats. It is related to two things, name- dy is also explained in the context of the eco- ly the elements of nature and culture that logy of coastal areas as a former of coastal are believed and followed by the fishermen culture in Jepara, Indonesia. community. It is known as cultural ecology. Traditional wooden boats are usually made METHOD to locally acceptable standards that have evolved in the context of activities carried A qualitative approach was used in this stu- out by coastal community. These standards dy by focusing on the field research method. and designs also tend to be very compatible According to the principles of qualitative re-

UNNES JOURNALS 211 Eko Sugiarto, et al, Design and Construction of Traditional Fishing Boat in Jepara in the Context ... search, researchers have a role as key instru- ped with plans and general requirements. ments. Researchers will research directly, Fishermenboat in Jepara do not have spe- adjust to the time and place to obtain the cial education even formal education in vo- data holistically (see Hohidi, 2012; Marshall cational high schools or in Institute in the & Rossman, 2006). naval architecture major. The ability of boat The design used is a case study builder is inherited in the family and in the to find out the uniqueness deeply about community. construction design and traditional ship- One of the boat builder in the De- ping technology in Jepara. The researcher man Urban Village, Pesajen Hamlet, Jepara will explore the lives of traditional fishing District, Supomo (48) claimed that he has vessels builder and several key informants made the construction of fishing boats sin- from several traditional fishermen. ce three years ago (2014). In the first time, The main subject of this study is he was a furniture carving craftsman in Je- traditional boat builder in Jepara. Purposi- para. Then, he learns about ships (helping vely, the research subjects were focused on others), so he can make or produce ships in- five traditional fishermen who utilize boat dependently. building service. The research data were In the process of building a fishing collected through (1) observation, (2) inter- boat, the boat builder usually has two assis- views, and (2) document studies. First, re- tants in facilitating his work. There are divi- searchers use the “controlled observation” sion of tasks, namely, the first person helps method. The observations were made in the in installing blocks and layers of wooden Jepara coastal especially in: (1) boat builders’ boards to form the main body of the boat. villages and (2) traditional fishermen villa- Whereas, the second person has a taskto ges namely Panggung Village, Kedungma- smokethe wood to form a wooden curvature lang Village, and Surodadi Village Kedung as a boat’s body. Subdistrict Jepara Regency are two Fisher- The fishing boat construction design men villages in Jepara Regency that its com- in Jepara has three main construction sec- munity rely on their lives from the sea. tions which functionas a basic construction Researchers use visual recording with and fastening, namely (1) keel, (2) bow, and digital camera as recording tool to complete (3) stern. They are the main construction notes. Second, unstructured interviews are components as a source of strength in the used to interview key informants, name- boat. Keel is the most basic part of a boat ly boat builder and traditional fishermen. construction. Keel as a foundation for laying Third, document studies are carried out on bow, stern, and wooden boat. The bow is the the works of traditional boats made by boat boathullin the front part of the boat which is 0 builder. placed vertically with a slope of 200 . While, The validity of the research data is the stern isthe boat hull in the back part of 0 maintained by triangulation techniques. the boat with a slope of 150 . Triangulation technique used in this stu- Traditional boat building uses teak as dy is source triangulation. This study uses the main material. Teak wood is a typical a flow model analysis from Miles and Hu- wood on the island of Java which has very berman consisting of: (1) data reduction, (2) good strength and water resistance. This data presentation, and (3) verification. wood is also widely used in the furniture in- dustries in Jepara, Indonesia. Whereas saw, ruler, carving tool, grinder, planer machine, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION glue, putty, hammer, and iron nail. The construction of wooden fishing Design and Construction of Traditional boat does not use design drawings namely Fishing Boat in Jepara the midship section and construction pro- Boats in Indonesia were built by traditional file as one of the technical requirements shipyards that its construction is not equip- that must be required. The draft or design

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Figure 1. Front, Top, and Left View of boat hull of the boat is only imagined in the minds an area is one of the means product deve- of the boat builder and it is communicated loped based on the ability to adapt to the verbally to the boat maker’s assistants in the natural environment in the area where the form of instructions in the boat building owner or the boat builder lives in the cul- process. The boat that is widely used by the tural context. The adaptation process is ful- fishing community in Jepara is a type of So- filled by the customs of the community. In pek boat made from teak wood. SopekBoat accordance with many communities who has two types of size, namely a small boat live in coastal areas or many diverse customs with a length of 5.5 m and a width of 1.2-2 m in Indonesia, it will determine the diversity and a large boat with a length of 11 m and a of traditional boat shapes both in terms of width of 4 m. The drive system already uses variation in size and style of cultural arts. a motor engine. Figure 1 is an example of a Most of the traditional vessels operating in construction design offishing boat in De- Indonesia are used for fishermen or fishing maan Urban Village, Pesajen Hamlet, Jepara boat-type vessels. It is related to the liveli- District, Jepara Regency. hood of the majority of the population who Based on observations at the Wisori- live in coastal areas which generally work as ver, Ujung BatuVillage, Jepara and the Kanal fishermen. Estuary, Demaan/Pakisaji Village, all Jepara There are different shapes and sizes boats have various colors. All parts of the between wooden boats that operate near fishing boat, especially the outside part of to the coastal area and in the sea. However, the boat, namely hull, bow and stern, seats, some boats have the same shape in the hull omahan or shade have been painted with section, which has U-shape. Traditional fis- bright colors. The most wide boat and arran- hing boat is made follows the fishing opera- ged or constructed from the arrangement of tion plan which is determined by the type boards on ivory boat hull is the most domi- and size of the fishing gear. nant color of the boat. The development of fishery equipment follows the needs based on the development Ecological Aspects in the Design of of conditions, for example the adjustment Fishing Boat in Jepara of fishing gear based on the condition of the Traditional boat or ship is one of the me- water layer, namely fishing gear for parts on ans of transportation and supporting live- the surface layer, at the bottom or between lihoods on the river and sea. The boat was the two sides, then the basic conditions made based on knowledge gained from ge- that are sandy, muddy, or rocky. Meanwhile, neration to generation. The development of based on the distance of the cruise, a boat the knowledge is based on experience and or traditional boat can be made for fishing instinct in adapting to the environment. operations near the beach or in the sea. Boat Thus, the traditional boat or ship from or fishing boat as a means of fishing gear was

UNNES JOURNALS 213 Eko Sugiarto, et al, Design and Construction of Traditional Fishing Boat in Jepara in the Context ... built to accommodate the needs of fishing operations as described above. The uniqueness of coastal cultural ecology is related to ship design (Masimo, 2014). fishing boats in Jepara have a uni- que ship which is decorated or ornamented on the bow, stern, and boat hull. Between the various parts of the boat, only the bow, stern, and boat hull of the front and back are painted with ornaments. The bow and stern of the front or back and the boat hull in the structure of the boat is the most important thing to be decorated and given ornaments in order to beautify the boat. Ornament given has a function to make the appearance of the boat becomes more beautiful. The ornaments added to the boat are not related to the construction, so the presentations are in the form of two dimensional decorative paintings or drawings. The drawings in the form carving motifs that has Jepara typical. Figure 2. Typical Ornaments on a Tradi- The Figure 2 is an example of a fishing boat tional Fishing Boat in Jepara ornament in Jepara.

Figure 3. Chart of Cultural Ecology Systems in Design and Construction of Traditional Boat in Jepara

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Traditional boat from Jepara is one a characteristic of fishing communities in of the product facilities developed based Jepara. Thus, it can be emphasized that the on the ability to adapt to the natural envi- learning resources can be categorized in the ronment in the area where the owner or criteria of community and cultural resour- the boad builder lives in a cultural context. ces. The adaptation process is fulfilled by the The tradition of traditional ship buil- customs of the community. Fishing boats ding reflects a cultural aspect, both of direct in Jepara use the main material of teak and and indirect, as well as fundamental life va- bangkirai. Teak wood is very famous in Jepa- lues. Culture has three main forms, namely ra as a basic material for making furniture. culture as a system of ideas, behavior, and Systematically, a review of cultural ecology products (Koentjaraningrat, 2002). Most of is presented in the following Figure 3. the process of the design and construction In terms of process, the characteristics of building ship, an idea displays aesthetic of cultural ecology in the construction de- tastes that represents the local communi- sign of fishing boat are: ty, aesthetic behaviors, and art work pro- 1. The cooperation between boat builder ducts. Therefore, it is needed a good plan- with others as boatbuilders (the toget- ning, implementation, and evaluation in the herness principle of coastal people) process of accommodation as arts learning 2. The boat building workshop is opened resources. and can be seen by many people (the Some of design and construction openness principle of coastal people) phenomena of traditional boat in Jepara 3. The communication between the that are relevant and potential as learning main boat builder with boat builder’s resources are as follows. First, the value of assistants use straightforward langu- cooperation. The Interaction among peop- age (the communication principle of le who build traditional boats show funda- coastal people) mental cooperation in traditional culture 4. There is a break (at 12-13 o’clock). It and art activities. Second, the value of open- shows the principle of observance in ness. Traditional boat builder and the com- worship munity work openly, nsmely determining 5. The existence of boat ornaments (the the price, quality of the material, and the art expression of coastal people) process of making art seen by many people. Art criticisms also occur in the process of Wisdom Potential in Traditional Ship building traditional boats. Third, the value Design as Learning Resources of communication. Social communication occurs between boats builders and the The wisdom contained in the ship de- community. This communication shows the sign and construction can be a momentum kinship of the people. Fourth, the value of for learning resources of community-based religious. Aesthetic processes in boat buil- fine arts education. The wisdom contained ding as a form of traditional culture that can in the design and construction of fishing not be separated from belief in God’s power. boats in Jepara has grown and developed in the Jepara region which is spread and passed down from generation to generation. The CONCLUSION scope of local wisdom in traditional boat de- The construction design and technology sign of Jepara community comes from cultu- of ship building in the ecological perspec- ral ecological values, while educational va- tive of the north coast of Java subculture. lue that can be used is character education The construction design of fishing boat is a with traditional arts and design as the me- representation of the technology system of dia. The design of traditional boat in Jepa- the traditional fishing community in Jepa- ra is not only aesthetic, but also represents ra. The type of boat made is skopek with the aesthetic behavior and behavior patterns as main material is teak wood from Java. The

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