Daily Times

Human beings are gifted with bringing their ideas to practicality. Boats have been around since ancient times. One of the first mentions of boats can be traced back to Noah and the Ark.

Archaeologists believe that the very first step towards boat-making began in either Mesopotamia or Asia, somewhere around 4000-3500BC.

People residing around the sea have made various inventions to commute. Logs or bundles of reeds can be lashed together to form rafts, hollow trunks can be improved to become dugout canoes. However, once the principle of a watertight hull is understood, animal hides or the bark of trees can be attached to a framework of bamboo wicker to make a simple coracle. Boats of all these kinds have been made by technologically primitive communities, and many continue to be made in the 20th century. Boats allowed man to for the first time ever cross bodies of water without getting wet. Over time, the simple boat evolved to include a large square of cloth mounted on a central pole. This cloth called a sail, would turn the boat into a sail-propelled ship, allowing men to travel both over the river and the sea. In addition, ancient vessel the Uru or fat boat contributed to the world of sailing for ancient seafaring people. It was first used off the coast of India, where it was designed but was also used by ancient Arab and Greek people to carry cargo up.

The primitive boat-builder is already on the way towards the only design on a large scale. This consists of a keel to which a ribbed frame is attached much as animal ribs curve outward from a backbone. Furthermore, these remained the basis designs for larger boats and ships until the gradual introduction of mental hulls in the 19th Century

The primitive boat-builder is already on the way towards the only design on a large scale. This consists of a keel to which a ribbed frame is attached much as animal ribs curve outward from a backbone. Furthermore, these remained the basis designs for larger boats and ships until the gradual introduction of mental hulls in the 19th Century. Egyptian boats sail upstream hoisting a large rectangular sail and then are rowed back down the river. Besides that, the Nile in particular provides a superbly predictable thoroughfare, for the wind always blows from north to south to north. The Egyptians with access to the Mediterranean also use larger sea going vessels. These become known as “Byblos” boats, revealing that their trade is with the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. Byblos is the main port for the export of the valvable cedar wood of Lebanon, essential for Egypt’s architecture and for boat- building.

In today’s day and age, boats are used by those who enjoy quick travel to and from their favourite destinations and never have to go without a cool drink or snack along the way. Remember, boats and the act of boating have certainly come a long way since the prehistoric vessels first used by early travellers, but whom are blessed to be where who are at present.

The writer is a student