The Single-Use Vessel: Reuse And Recycling In The Construction Of The Cuban Chug

Author(s): Zachary J Harris

Year: 2017

Summary

There is no singular theoretical model that explains the life cycle of the Cuban chug. Its creation as a single use vessel is singularly unique to boat construction. The vessel must be strong enough to withstand and ride the Florida Current, constructed of materials that are readily available to the average Cuban citizen, and be able to be transported and launched quickly to avoid detainment by Cuban authorities. Once a chug reaches the territorial waters of the United States its passengers will ultimately abandon it. This sort of abandonment, however, is uncharacteristic of typical abandonment practices as discussed by Richards (2008). The boats are not abandoned in an effort to eliminate navigational hazards but rather because they are simply no longer needed by the passengers. This paper will focus on several examples of vessels used in the migration of Cuban citizens to the United States. 

Cite this Record

The Single-Use Vessel: Reuse And Recycling In The Construction Of The Cuban Chug. Zachary J Harris. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Fort Worth, TX. 2017 ( tDAR id: 435422)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Temporal Keywords
Historic

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 360