The Story of Rojomolo

A. The History of Baito Kyai Rojomolo

Rojomolo have complete name Baito Kyai Rojomolo, it is a special wooden boat on Kasunanan Surakarta Kingdom was built on  1780 by RMG Sugandhi. He is the crown prince Sri Susuhunan Pakubuwono IV. And later on, he will raplace his father to be king, and have tittle Sri Susuhunan Pakubuwono V.

On that time, RMG Sugandhi mother just passed away. His mother is a princess come from Madura Island. After his mother passed away, his father take new empress, that new empress is RMG sugandhi mother young sister. But later on, his father triffle away his new mother. Because of that, he think to repatriate his new mother back to madura. For that reason, he start to built wooden boat to use it bring his new mother back to Madura Island.

But when wooden boat is going on progress, his father fill moved with his son strunggle to make wooden boat. And last moment his father ask to him to stop his plane to repatriate his new mother back to madura island. And use the new wooden boat which RMG sugandhi to be ship tourism to run on Bengawan Solo river.

B. Mystery A Form of Kyai Rojomolo Wooden Boat

Kyai Rojomolo is uniqe wooden boat, people only knows story about that wooden boat. But no body knows the real form that wooden boat. On 2005 when I was Study on Marine Engineering Dept, Sepuluh Nopember Institut of technology (ITS) Surabaya, for my final duty to got my bachelor degree I try to open that wooden boat mystery.

Acctually before my research, Mr Rachmat Adiyanto has research from kyai rojomolo wooden boat hystory. And in the same time with me, I got friend from STSI Solo to research together, but she concern on the Art of Kyai Rojomolo wooden Boat. So at least has 3 people has take research for kyai rojomolo wooden boat, hystory side, Art side, and Technically side.

For my research bassically I try with 3 methode, first I take data from old kingdom familly story, second I take data from hystory book of Babadan Kyai Rojomolo, and the last one I try to make comparrison between old wooden boat building methode with modern wooden boat building methode.

For first methode, I take data from Gusti Puger storry. He is head of Sonopustoko (Library) Kasunanan Surakarta Kingdom. and he is young brother from PB XIII Hangabehi. He told me that :

1. Rojomolo wooden boat has gone, and no body know how, why, and when that's wooden boat has gone.
2. Kyai Rojomolo last seen rest on pesanggrahan langenharjo.
3. This wooden boat has been the kingdom wooden boat, and would use king, when he want went to madura island through Bengawan solo river.
4. This wooden boat have special compartment, and that's compartmen have gamelan (java traditional music equipment), Stage performant, and leather puppet. On this compartment, kasunanan king, ussually enjoy with watch tradisional java art like dance, sing, and puppet.
5. Last one and still exist untill now part of this wooden boat is Canthik Kyai Rojomolo this is like Dragon Head on chinnes wooden boat.

And then I take data with interview with Mbah Hadi, lead of Radyapustaka library. Same like gusti puger told to me that Rojomolo is big wooden boat, use for king of kasunanan kingdom transportation boat from solo to madura. And last time when bengawan solo floaded, king using rojomolo wooden boat to walk around solo, to watch and inspect his theritory, to makesure the floaded affect to his people. And after that the king will distribute what his people need to minimize the floaded affect.

Second Methode.

On this methode I take data from old hystory book of rojomolo wooden boat. That's book is Babadipun Kagungan Dalem Baito Kyai Rojomolo. I got this book on sasono pustoko (Kingdom Library) Kasunanan Surakarta Kingdom. On this book mentioned that rojomolo made from Jati Wood. And other data as followed :

1. Name of  Wooden Boat     : Baito Kyai Rojomolo
2. Time of Building                 : 18 A
3. Boat Builder                      :  RMG Sugandhi
4. Type of Boat                      : Wooden Boat
5. Wooden Type                   : Jati Wooden

Main Boat Dimension

1. Lengt of Boat                            : 115 Kaki (old java dimension) simillar with  36 Meter
2. Width                                       : 21    Kaki simillar with 6.6 Meter
3. Lenght of Main Accomodation  : 109 Kaki  simillar with 34.5 Meter

General Arrangement Boat :