Toggle sidebar

Leather Stone-Age Boat Project

  • Hey Guest, We're having our annual Winter Moot and we'd love you to come. PLEASE LOOK HERE to secure your place and get more information.
    For forum threads CLICK HERE
Terrific trip report and thanks for posting. What is the provenance for a boat of this design with outrigger? All the engravings of boats on rocks in Scandinavia are of single-hulled craft as far as I remember. The earliest ones have straight stem and sterns.

1ebc5dbc80.jpg
 
Absolutely great stuff! A great read and pictures to go with it; I reckon that's a tale for many, many campfires to come! :-)
 
Thank you for all the comments :) It has been quite an adventure! We move on to a different farm tomorrow, so who knows what awaits next

I am still returning to reality but to reply to two comments in particular

boatman said:
Terrific trip report and thanks for posting. What is the provenance for a boat of this design with outrigger? All the engravings of boats on rocks in Scandinavia are of single-hulled craft as far as I remember. The earliest ones have straight stem and sterns.

1ebc5dbc80.jpg
Click to expand...


It is because most of the rock carvings show a very large crew or 20+ which is very difficult to get with a single hulled craft. Catamarans are still an ancient design, so we put 2 and 2 together :)


HarrogateTobias said:
What an incredible trip and write up! thanks for sharing. How are you getting on with the pair of sleeping bags I sold you?
Click to expand...

Couldn't be happier mate they have kept us nice and cosy ;)
 
Thanks for the reply and the reasoning for the outrigger. Not to labour the point but there has been a lot of discussion on whether the pictured ships on rocks were skin or wooden hulled and for me a plank-built is the more likely for the larger ones as single-hulls.
[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="class: catch"]For example: Antiquity Volume 54, number 211, page 118-127, Plank-built in the Bronze Age- JR Hale.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
boatman said:
Thanks for the reply and the reasoning for the outrigger. Not to labour the point but there has been a lot of discussion on whether the pictured ships on rocks were skin or wooden hulled and for me a plank-built is the more likely for the larger ones as single-hulls.
[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="class: catch"]For example: Antiquity Volume 54, number 211, page 118-127, Plank-built in the Bronze Age- JR Hale.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Click to expand...

I'll certainly not argue the point, but i think both are valid. I think back then, it would have come down to materials and craftsmanship. It is amazing just how easy it is to make a leather boat compared to a wooden hulled one. But because of the lack of much archaeological evidence this was an experimental build, mainly just to see if it could be done in the first place :)
 
Wow, what a fantastic adventure Hamish!
Thoroughly enjoyed your report and pictures....looking forward to the next lot :)
 
Thats funny, I have found an article on skin boats in an old publication.

They mention rock carvings but I dont think there is any other evidence for such craft in Scandanavia.

The saami made sewn boats...But I think they were planks sewn togather like the old dhows.

I thought catermerans were a south seas thing?

(Id love to go out in a curragh, me and my affinity to the Age of Saints and all...)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

British Red
Damn, but I I love farmers
Replies
42
Views
743
The Homestead
Glow_worm
G
Muddypaws
Mini Drawknife
Replies
15
Views
796
Edged Tools
Chris
Chris
Tengu
The End of the Road
Replies
3
Views
439
Out and About
Tengu
Tengu
Muddypaws
A Bit of SAK Modding
Replies
9
Views
897
Edged Tools
Muddypaws
Muddypaws
Chris
Trip Report One night hot tenting in the woods
Replies
6
Views
153
Out and About
FerlasDave
FerlasDave

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE
Top Bottom