[4]: 192 In northern Sulawesi, it was originally a term for a mahera boat (mahera means dugout—the base keel made from a whole piece of hollowed wood), but with the entry of Filipino technology (see vinta), then a boat made of plywood can also be referred to as a pelang.
[5]: 3 In the western part of Nusantara, it refers to a large, flat-bottomed canoe-like boat with one mast, stepping a lug sail made of cloth.
[7][8]: 36 [9]: 100 In the eastern part of Nusantara, the name refers to a small, canoe-like outrigger boat.
On the northern coast of Sulawesi, pelang refers to an outrigger fishing boat.
They are made of marine plywood reinforced with frame construction and side beams.