Surprise on a Jungle River

[BOD]

You can expect anything in the jungle from finding an abandoned temple to meeting someone from your hometown but I never expected this.

On the way back from a trip I did a double take when I saw this.

Out of the movie Fitzcarraldo or the pages of Huckleberry Finn.

So I just had to go and take a look.

The owner was sleeping on his houseboat and his delightful daughter who was doing her homework (no pics) let me look around. To my surprise there were 2 large rowing boats of the sort I’d associate with a man o’war rather than a jungle river. There are six rowlocks. The gunnels are about 4" thick.

Any paddle steamer experts who can tell us anything about the side-wheeler?

And any comments about the type of rowing boat? Is it a ship’s boat, some kind of jolly boat or long boat??

 

[Tetley]

Clinker built , 6 oar small boats do indeed look like Jolly Boats strait out of the age of sail LOL , smallest boat on a man o war (apart from the captains Gig) and used for all applications afloat Look like they just been finished being used to film "Hornblower"

 

[Toddy]

Those are clinker built ships lifeboats.
The kind found on the big ocean liners kind of things.
Those were not cheap boats that have somehow ended up a jungle river
Were their keels stepped to take a wee mast ?

Isn't it amazing the things we come across ?

They should have the ships name across their transoms.......did you get a look ?
They would originally been launched from daviots swung our over the side of the ship.

cheers,
M

 

[BOD]

The freeboard is too low to be a modern lifeboat and it is not canoe sterned.


I was thinking of ship's boat in the age of sail.

There were no masts and place to step the mast.

 

[maddave]

 

[Toddy]

Maybe, maybe......but shallow river......and the paddlesteamer next to them suggests that.
No thole pins in the gunnels, but those look almost like hawser channels along the sides.

Surprising no mast, especially with the long tillers.

cheers,
M

 

[Shambling Shaman]

My 1st thought was whaleboat's from the day of moby dick