Description
This article is from the Sea
Kayaking FAQ, by Todd Leigh with numerous contributions by
others.
45 What is an umiak?
An umiak is an open decked boat made with seal skins and wood. It was
paddled with single bladed paddles and typically had more than one
paddler. It ranged in size from 17 feet to 60 feet. The umiak was
typically seaworthy.
Some groups lived nomadically to follow animal migrations. In these
groups, the umiak was used primarily for transporting household goods,
children, elderly and those unable to paddle a kayak. The women of the
village would paddle the umiak since the men were paddling their
kayaks. In other groups it was used for hunting walrus and whale. It
was paddled by men and sometimes women during these hunts.
It is thought the kayak originally started out as a decked over umiak
and evolved into its traditional form.
It is also called a baydar.
Sometimes the umiak was used to hunt together with the kayaks.
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