A sampan is a relatively
flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat. It’s used by some as a small shelter and can
even be used as a form of permanent residence on the inland waters. You
generally can find sampans used in rivers of coastal regions and they are also
sometimes employed as traditional fishing boats. Sampans stay close to shore
and it is unusual to find a sampan sailing far from land as they are not
constructed to survive rough weather or seas. The wise captain knows what his
boat is built for and doesn’t ask it to do more than it can. Know yourself, or
at least as much as you can, and avoid putting yourself in dangerous
situations.
