Round Boats

[cs]

Did you watch the conclussion of the great race last night? You know the race where teams of 2 race around the world using clues to find out where there next destination is. The have different task they have to perform to get these clues. You ask how is this realeted to boats? Well I will tell you.

At one point in the race the contestants were in Veitnam and they had a choice of either riding bikes loaded down with shrimp baskets or using a round boat to get a clue off of an island. Below is a photo of a round boat.

http://north-valley.com/vietnam/images/fishingvillage4.gif

Seems to me that this would present a challenge to efective rowing (and it did). Any remarks?

BTW there was this one team (a guy and a girl) that was kept together by the guy. The whole race it seemed like the girl would whine and cry and give up. He would soothe her and keep her moving even to the point of carrying her. He stayed motivated and had a chipper outlook the whole time. Watching this team I was pulled between not wanting the girl to win and admiring this guy who kept them in race and hopping he would win. When it was all said and done they did win the race (the prize being a million bucks).

I guess the moral of the story is that no matter how hopeless the situation, you can prevail by keeping a positive attitude and never giving up.

Chad

ps: To keep in the theme of things if you post on this topic you have to mention the round boats at least once.

[A. Mason]

Do you happen to know why the boats are round and what they are, or were, used for?

Anita

[cs]

I was hoping that some of the good folks here could fill in the blanks.

Chad

[Ian G Wright]

Japanese tub boats. WB had an spread on them a few years ago. Try a search.
IanW.

[Donn]

http://www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/eng/current/img/2002582/l_20025824.jpg

Japanese Tub-boat (tarai bune)

[Rancocas]

Round boats were once quite common in the American west. They were made by stretching a buffalo (bison) hide over a framework of willow branches. Thus, they were called "bull-boats" by the early mountain men who first encountered them.
Louis and Clark mention such bull-boats in their famous journal of 1804-1806. They commented on how difficult they were to manuever. However, they added that an experienced paddler could move them along quite well.
Several tribes along the upper Missouri River were known to make and use them. Apparently the bull-boats were easy to construct, and could carry quite a load. The indians used them mainly to transport goods from one side of the river to the other.
A single paddler would lean over the side and do a pulling stroke toward himself, in order to move the boat forward. Two paddlers needed to be coordinated, and paddle together on opposite sides of the boat.

[Donn]

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:SiKkdFliP8oC:www.kelvinbaggs.com/Travelogues/Vietnam/Vietnam_Photos_2/20011123_Nga_Trang_Bay_paddling_round_boat.jpg

[Donn]

http://www.ncsu.edu/chass/extension/sch/maritime/images/coracle.jpg

[Barry]

There's also The Celtic version

http://www.data-wales.co.uk/coracle1.htm

And the Bull Boat:
http://www.lewis-clark.org/CLARK-YELLOWSTONE/YELLOWSTONE/in_bull-boat.htm

[ 12-19-2002, 08:21 PM: Message edited by: Barry ]

[Donn]

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/trade/explore/images/coracle.jpg

http://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/croeso/atyn/lluniau/coracle.jpg

http://www.nexicom.net/~leather/coracle.jpg

http://www.violins.demon.co.uk/royalshow/coracle.jpg

http://lindsayhill.com/seasia/coracle.jpg

[Donn]

http://maritimemuseum.ac.za/displ36a.jpg

[tealsmith1]

I saw the program. I didn't want the whiney girl to win either. Btw, the boats looked like they were woven. How did they keep the water out?

[cs]

Can you believe the patiance of that guy?

I think I figured out these round boats. When you get home you take the boat into the house and put a pillow in it and it turns into a papasan chair.

Chad