Category: River boats

Alone and forsaken but with an intriguing stern – or is it bows?

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Punt with striking stern - or bows

There’s something very affecting about this engraving, which Craig O’Donnell of the splendid The Cheap Pages emailed over a few days ago. I know several old songs that seem to apply, and I gather Craig spotted this engraving in an antique shop.

From a practical point of view, I wonder why that stern – or bows, if you prefer – is as it is? Why would anyone build the end of a punt this way? My suggestion is that it’s a chain or rope ferry boat, but if you agree or disagree, please feel free say so in the comment link below!

Back to the songs: I think the Waters of Tyne seems particularly appropriate:

I cannot get tae my love if I would dee
For the waters of Tyne run between him and me
And here I maun stand wi a tear in my ee
All sighin and sobbin, my true love to see

Oh where is the boatman, my bonny hinney
Oh where is the boatman, go bring him to me
For to ferry me over the Tyne to my honey
Or speed him across the rough waters to me

For a fuller, singable set of lyrics and a sample of the tune, go here.

Thanks Craig!

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Three hundred kilometres in a 15ft boat

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Ben Crawshaw's Onawind Blue cruises on the coast of Spain

Light Trow Onawind Blue tied up somewhere on the Spanish coast

Ben Crawshaw of The Invisible Workshop is back from a 300 kilometre trip in his boat Onawind Blue and, not surprisingly, seems to be simultaneously shattered and happy. Why not leave a comment of congratulations on his weblog?

Here’s a quotation:

‘You can’t travel 300 kilometres over the sea in a little boat without a lot happening. We had our share of calms and light headwinds, we had long sessions of gut busting rowing under a blazing sun, we had contrary currents and large rolling swells; conditions so frustrating and tiring that I was ready to let mermaids lure me overboard into the cool waters. We had a rat stowaway in the forward locker for 24 hours and we ran aground off a small rocky island. We saw the Tramontana wind and helped heave a 30-foot sailing boat off rocks after it’s anchor dragged in the cove where we sheltered from the fierce blow. We had some fantastic sailing with following winds, at one point so strong that I could only continue sailing by rigging the double-reefed mizzen sail on the main mast and then, with only 1.2 metres of sail cloth, we still sailed at 6 knots. I discovered the most idyllic coves, met fantastic, welcoming people, got drunk, ate some great food and let the sea in through every pore in my body so that now, on land at last, life seems impossibly dry.’

Ben has a great story to tell over the next few weeks, and I’m looking forward to it!

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Folding and skin-on-frame boats at this year’s Beale Park Thames Boat Show

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Folding boats at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2008

Folding boats at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2008

Folding dinghy at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2008.
As usual, click on the photos for a much larger image

Folding and skin-on-frame boats are always represented at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show, and this year was no exception. I was particularly impressed with this folding skin on frame dinghy – folding canoes and tenders are relatively commonplace, but this is a much bigger production.

Here’s exhibitor Roger French’s history and explanation, followed by some more shots, and a coracle or two:

Folding boats at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2008

Folding boats at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2008

Folding boats at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2008

Coracle at the Beale Part Thames Boat Show 2008

Coracle at the Beale Part Thames Boat Show 2008