Skin Boats

Skin Boat original: 皮船 (pichuan); also known as a hide-covered coracle

The Skin Boat is a specialized watercraft used for military and civilian transport across rivers and streams. These vessels are constructed by stretching treated animal hides over a lightweight wooden or bamboo frame, creating a waterproof hull that is exceptionally buoyant and easy to maneuver.

As seen in the accompanying illustration, these vessels were produced in multiple designs to suit different needs:

• Circular Skin Boats: The top figure demonstrates a smaller, round vessel—often called a coracle—designed for a single navigator. Its shape allows it to spin and pivot easily in the water.
• Oval Skin Boats: The lower figures navigate a larger, elongated version. This oval-shaped design The elongated shape provides more stability and surface area, allowing for the transport of multiple personnel or heavier military equipment is better suited for carrying larger loads across a current.

These boats were indispensable for military logistics because they could be disassembled and their hides folded, allowing an army to carry its fleet over mountains and through forests before reassembling them at the water's edge.

The woodcut illustration reflects the practical application of these vessels, showing the rowers using long paddles to navigate. In a military context, these would be used for "silent crossings" where the splash of heavy wooden oars might alert the enemy.