When standing at the creek, everything around looks like they have leaped backward in time. In the past, traders needed to move things across the creek, and the city had not advanced enough to build a bridge. Therefore Abras served the purpose. They were more significant than a normal deck boat and were versatile enough to carry goods and people.
Those boats are still used for goods import and export all over the Gulf. Do you know what they transport nowadays? Walk towards the creek to find out!