boats

Boats and Things
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Boats and Things

Hail Bravehearts

To the ingenuity of early man. Praises to the brilliance. To the inventor, the genius who can’t stop learning. Since the time before humans, boats have been built. With skill and ingenuity, to cross the high seas, in search of discovery, new worlds, new beginnings, new adventure, new life, new home, a new land.
Brave homo erectus, 800,000 years ago, lashed together reeds to sail the high seas. An intelligent forerunner of the human, so daring and interested, to find out what lies beyond the comfortable domain of his estate. To hand to us the skills and invention of ocean going craft.
A daring adventure on quiet waters, poling a raft around the rivers. Caution and careful, trial and error, not to tip or fall into the water. The genius at work, preparing for a great day. A day on the water, maneuvering carefully, learning skills without a teacher. Teach yourselves, to build and propel, to drive the craft and to be in control. Time and again, the master at work, reading the water, for eddies and rapids and rocky outcrops, sand bars and current, undertoe and dangerous deadfall. What catches the craft and spins it out of control? Into the deep water, where the pole cannot touch bottom. Dangerous, yet thrilling! The raft moves on, controlled by the current, until, luckily it breaches on the rocky bottom. Victory! Another lesson learned, the hard way, but this is the only teacher they had. A longer pole, a larger raft, another attempt. Try again, to build and control, to master the water and to ride the seas.
The destiny will be to conquer the ocean and reach the land mass that lies beyond.

http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~vaucher/History/Prehistoric_Craft/ sail the high seas.

A simple vessel, but not from a simple mind. The migration of the species to lands beyond is accomplished by the brave and the daring, the curious and the willing. Who would like to ride in the boat of simple reads, lashed together, and to take their chances on the high seas? The migration to the new worlds has begun and the pursuit of adventure and discovery is upon us. 800,000 years ago, the spirit of discovery is compelling. To new worlds, to seek new land, to discover more and more. Ancient as they are, the drive for discovery and adventure is in them. A new frontier to be explored. A quest which ignites the flame of power and curiosity. What lies beyond our own safe home? What is out there?
Brave homo erectus, who sails the oceans, the mighty waters couldn’t stop them. Only the discovery, the opportunity, the chance to answer the still, so often asked question. What lies beyond?

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
October 30, 2014

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The Kayak

Good Day, Brave hearts!

Rise to the early morning need of daily sustenance. Your food awaits you in the refrigerator, the freezer, the cupboard, the pantry, the kitchen, the grocery store and the meal is cooked on the stove, in the microwave, the kettle, the oven, the coffee maker. Your adrenaline soars and your spirits rise as the smell of your morning brew awakes you, from Guatemala, from China, from Venezuela, from India, from Columbia, from Thailand and the brands are from other sources all world wide as our morning starts with international brews from all over the world. International trade has given us a boost to start the day and out of the house we go.
But wait, what did you say? The morning starts with the catch of the day? You rise at day break, but there is no dawn and you set out on ice flows to catch a fish, or a walrus, or a seal? You rise at whatever time your biological clock rouses you and you put on your mukluks and warm winter clothing and venture out to catch your mornings feast. The blast of cold air awakens instantly and the hunt is on.
The voices of fellow hunters call and the companionship that binds and protects creates the security of the small band.
Here in the far north the hunters pick up harpoons and kayak and prepare to enter the Arctic ocean, for the catch is just off shore.
4000 years of Arctic dwelling has left these experts to a life of fortitude. The craft, a kayak, is an invention of theirs, 4000 years of ocean hunting and 4000 years of kayak building.
The craft is made of wood, or driftwood, or bone with seal skin stretched over the shell. The paddle is made of wood or bone and the clothing of sealskin to repel water. The skin spray skirt keeps the water out and keeps the boat dry in case of capsizing. The famous and necessary Eskimo roll was first performed by these Inuit hunters.
The Inuit are the inventors of the kayak and have been using these specifically made boats for thousands of years. Each man has a boat of his own, made to fit him perfectly.
In an area so remote as Greenland, Baffin Island and the northern Arctic coastline of Canada, where these people choose to dwell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayak

Now, with harpoon and kayak, the great hunter can catch walrus, fish, seal and whale. The necessities of life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTGGHBq5je8 A History of the Kayak and the Eskimo

Although this film is about Alaska, it gives a good depiction of the life of the Inuit, which would be typical of Canadian history as well.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes
January 24, 2014