UK paddling in 1933

[samb]

Today, enjoying a Boxing day outing, I visited the second hand bookshop at Blickling Hall.
I found a copy of a book I have been looking for for around 5-6 years. I have found copies before, but always at above a price I wanted to pay. At present in the UK there are 4 copies for sale priced between £45 and £120 (this one signed by the author)
The book is ‘The Heart of England by Waterway’ by Willliam Bliss, published in 1933. It is the most hard to come by book of his three books about Canoeing in the 1930s and deals with canoeing on the canals. The other two I have and they cost me £14 and £19.
This one cost £3! Bargain!

Sam

 

[patrick corry]

What a civilized way to portage! The author's canoe looks like my Wm. English canoe based on the rib spacing, lack of inwale, and somewhat wide, or flared, outwale.

 

[samb]

Could be Patrick, but in another book he has a definite preference for all wood boats, so I'd thought it was a board and batten - like this but in better condition.

Whichever it is, if I ever decide to paddle that bit, I'll take a horse and a set of wheels with me.

Sam

 

[patrick corry]

You are most likely correct. Although somewhat difficult to see in detail, the author's canoe seat/thwart appears to be mounted between ribs, as in your supplemental picture. Wider spaced ribs than mine too.

 

[Benson Gray]

There is a long tradition of using wagons to cart canoes as shown below from John MacGregor's books about his European travels with his Rob Roy canoes. Some went better than others. This tradition continued at the North East Carry in Maine.

Benson

 

[Michael Grace]

Hi Sam - glad you found the book you've been looking for, and at a bargain price, too. That was surely a happy day. All of these canoe transport illustrations are great; I've seen most of them, but the one from your book is new to me and there's something nice about its simplicity as an original black-and-white photo. Thanks for sharing. Agreed that the rib spacing suggests that it's a board-and batten canoe.

"First upset of the Rob Roy" is funny for its title and for the men frantically running after the terrified horse that has broken the cart, destroyed the fence, and "upset" the Rob Roy - not what we (or the author) would normally think of as a canoe upset!

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Happy for samb that he found a coveted book at such a reasonable price.

There is a long tradition of using wagons to cart canoes

This can hardly be surprising in the pre-motorized vehicle era. There is now a long tradition of using motorized vehicles to cart canoes. What is perhaps more interesting is how canoes were transported over land by North American natives in the pre-Columbian era when they had no horses, no oxen and probably no wheels.