I had a tape of sailing craft still in use around the world. One of the boats was reed sailboats. The interesting thing was the boat was very unstable until the sails were raised and the boats took off down the Nile sailing as well as any modern sailboat. Maybe these guys were on to something!
My parents have a 6-7ft Bolivian reed boat (a Balsa) from when we lived there in yhe mid-70’s. Anyone know where we might sell it or an organization to donate it to?
In The Ark before Noah, Irving Finkel documents the construction of huge reed coracles in the lower Tigris/Euphrates. The whole culture of the lower river is based on reeds. The houses were constructed of reeds. Cuneiform uses reed styluses to write on clay.
Anyway, he found and translated a cuneiform tablet that describes the construction of Noah's ark. Of course, it was done by orders of a local god. The story was later plagiarized into the Old Testament.
He eventually obtained financing to build one as large as possible. His research showed that the Ark as described in the tablet could not have been built. His book includes pictures of coracles used at the time of the British take over of Iraq following WW1, and the coracle built from the cuneiform tablet.
Brings back memory of our first retirement trip ..to Peru. We went out to the Uros and Taquele Islands and experienced a whole new exotic life. We went inside one of the huts on Uros, and here was a 10in TV ....ha ha. Nevertheless, it was a great adventure that day, particularly when my spouse agreed to demo dance with the people.. downside was altitude sickness...13,000ft!!
I had a tape of sailing craft still in use around the world. One of the boats was reed sailboats. The interesting thing was the boat was very unstable until the sails were raised and the boats took off down the Nile sailing as well as any modern sailboat. Maybe these guys were on to something!
My parents have a 6-7ft Bolivian reed boat (a Balsa) from when we lived there in yhe mid-70’s. Anyone know where we might sell it or an organization to donate it to?
I came across some reed boats on the north coast of Oman back in the 1980s. Can't post a picture, but here is a link: https://rgdudley.smugmug.com/Various-Fishery-images/Fishery-Images/i-QTvsWVG/A
Nice article...I want one!!
My parents have a 7’ one used to pull behind for cargo. They are downsizing and want to find a home for it
In The Ark before Noah, Irving Finkel documents the construction of huge reed coracles in the lower Tigris/Euphrates. The whole culture of the lower river is based on reeds. The houses were constructed of reeds. Cuneiform uses reed styluses to write on clay.
Anyway, he found and translated a cuneiform tablet that describes the construction of Noah's ark. Of course, it was done by orders of a local god. The story was later plagiarized into the Old Testament.
He eventually obtained financing to build one as large as possible. His research showed that the Ark as described in the tablet could not have been built. His book includes pictures of coracles used at the time of the British take over of Iraq following WW1, and the coracle built from the cuneiform tablet.
Brings back memory of our first retirement trip ..to Peru. We went out to the Uros and Taquele Islands and experienced a whole new exotic life. We went inside one of the huts on Uros, and here was a 10in TV ....ha ha. Nevertheless, it was a great adventure that day, particularly when my spouse agreed to demo dance with the people.. downside was altitude sickness...13,000ft!!
I love this! I want to know more about them!
I wish you would put captions on the photos so we know what we are looking at -