All About Boating

All about Boats

Seems like a stupid question, but what actually are boats?

Boats are the vehicles we use for travel over water. Because their shape cups air away from the water, they float! We have all seen how bubbles of air burst upwards through water in a bath or pool towards the surface. Well, this very same philosophy is what keeps boats afloat.

Of course this is not always the case, as some materials, such as coniferous wood, do float naturally. However, if it doesn't have the classic boat shape, then it's a RAFT, not a boat.

Although boats are traditionally made of biological materials, such as wood, bark, and animal skin, they are now manufactured from resin, fibreglass, and on the largest scale, metal (usually iron). Having said that, not only the largest boats are metal: traditional european narrowboats (used on the british and french canals) are traditionally made from iron and steel.

Of course, before the invent of the steam engine, there were just three main forms of boat propulsion: Wind, Man Power, and Horses. Large sails on boats catch the wind to push the boat along, however, before the invention of the keel plate, boats could not sail into the wind. Therefore man power was an essential factor of Roman, Greek and Viking Boats. Huge oars would extend from the side of the ships, and pulled by men, would painstakingly give motion to the vessels.

The invention of the Steam Engine was an important factor for boating. First used in naval ships, and then commercially, most famously with the tragic boat "Titanic". A race between propellers and screws in the 19th century decided that the propeller was most fit for boating, and so the modern powered boat was born.

Steam soon became petrol, petrol became diesel. Modern ships run on thick fuel oil.

Small yachts and narrow boats run on petrol and diesel however, as they do not require a thicker burning fraction of the crude oil.

The most advanced engine mounted on a boat was probably the Jet turbine engine, which famously powered Donald Campbell's Bluebird in which he died on Lake Conniston, England, whilst attempting the world waterspeed record.

Modern Recreational Boats

Narrowboats

Once Great Britain's most important method of industrial transport, narrowboats made their home on the specially constructed British Canal Network, a maze-like series of waterways which stretch from central Scotland all the way down to the south coast. They do not carry fresh running water, like rivers, but in fact store water between locks, a contraption for raising boats onto a lower or higher section of the waterway between two heavy wooden gates.

The main area of a traditional narrowboat was decidated to storage of goods, with only a tiny cabin for living and virtually no back deck. They were pulled by horses which walked along a path at the side if the canal called the "towpath". Their top speed was 4 miles an hour. What's more, with the towpath being at only one side of the canal, every time two boats pased each other, ropes would have to be uncoupled etc., and the rigmarole was unbelievable. Which meant that with the advent of the train, and later, the lorry, the narrowboats and the canals fell into an EXTREMELY rapid decline. By the 1940's, most of Britain's canals were only used for fishing.

The canals decayed and silted for the next thirty years, but were finally saved by British Waterways, a new company designed to preserve and maintain the canal network in the UK. Boats are now dedicated entirely to living space, with a large back deck, and a diesel/petrol engine. But sorry to all you racers, top speed is still between 4 and 5 miles an hour (thats slightly quicker than walking). They are now an extremely popular way of taking through the water, with the thought of manouvering

Kayaks

An ancient vessel, which has withstood the test of time in both its construction and authentic use, the kayak is originally of Arctic birth, traditionally used by Eskimos, Ainu and Aleut. It is propelled by a double-bladed paddle in the hands of the rider, which strokes in the water intermittently with alternate strokes of the paddle.

Although the tradional use for a kayak is to aid life in the arctic, such as fishing and harpooning, modern day kayakers take advantage of not just a small section of the globe, but indeed the whole globe. White water kayaking through America's rapids, sea kayaking, canal kayaking, lake kayaking and river kayaking are just a few of the new uses which kayaks have found over the last fifty years. They are a cheap way for many people to take to the water and stay dry, and are an essential item for some photographers.

Traditionally, kayaks were constructed from a light wooden frame stretched over and made watertight by seal skin. When the idea was taken to Europe, however, the seal skin soon became canvas and tar. Today all framed kayaks are sealed by a plastic material, such as polystyrene, as it is cheap and reliable. Many kayaks are, however, manufactured as a single non-framed 'shell' out of plastic, resin or fibreglass.

Canoes

The term 'Canoe' is a relatively broad and general term for a variety of different boats, but which all carry a number of passengers, and have pointed ends.

Constructed of wood, hollow log, birchbark or other materials, canoes are an ancient type of boat, the earliest recorded canoe having been found in the Netherlands, radio carbon dated at c.8000 BC.

Canoes are nowadays a popular way to boat, being both for white water and relaxation purposes. Although much less portable and more expensive than kayaks, canoes offer a superb method of travelling in a group along water.

Yachts

A classic boat, the yacht is purely recreational. With either sails or motors or both, yachts are the boats bought to impress and to exemplify luxury.

Yachts Range from 10 metres to over 100, and generally are seen in the colour white. The use of sails on some yachts makes them extremely eco-friendly, and motor sailing yachts go a step further as they are eco-friendly and can sail in windless conditions

The larger and more luxurious yachts are exclusively for the rich. They can cost tens of millions of pounds or more, and have included freshwater swimming pools, lounges, bars, and more.

However, the smaller yachts tend to be much more affordable, with a small cabin and only basic features. For a beginner who wishes to stay aboard a vessel at sea overnight, a cabin yacht is ideal.