Row or paddle?
02/09/13 05:32
When sailors from Europe first reached North America there was an encounter of cultures and technologies that must have been amazing. I know of no historical records that report how the participants felt upon seeing the technologies of the others, but I have often imagined what it might have been like.
Norse sailors became adept in sailing the North Atlantic in Snekkja and Skei. Both types of ships fall into the category of “lonbgships” and were powered both by sail and by oars. Norse explorers made it to Greenland as early as the 10th Century and had permanent colonies in Greenland for about 500 years. Various explorers discovered lands to the west of Greenland as well. Bjami was blown off course and sighted land to the west of Greenland. His reports to Leif Eiriksson inspired Leif to explort the land and both Leif and his brother Thorvald spent winters in Newfoundland with their crews as part of their travels.
Prior to the visits of the Norsemen, Greenlanders had developed skin-on-frame kayaks. The craft were long and narrow and nimble for paddling in the choppy seas of the North Atlantic. They had reasonable cargo capacity and could be used to transport game from distant locations, primarily fish and sea mammals that were harvested for food. The craft, designed for solo paddlers were nimble and maneuverable. The Norse Visitors, in contrast arrived in comparably huge ships that were 50 to 100 feet long. The larger craft had as many as 30 rowing benches and carried large crews. A Snekkja carried 40 rowers and a captain or coxswain. The Skei could carry as many as 80 rowers. Both craft were also outfitted with large sails used primarily for sailing on downwind points of sail.
I imagine that the Norsemen were surprised and amazed at that the tiny and nimble Greenland kayaks could handle the wild and heavy seas. I imagine that the Greenlanders were surprised at the size and heft of the mighty Norse ships.
Later, when sailors from Spain, England and other European countries visited North America they had ships with complex sail plans and towering masts with standing rigging. They had smaller rowing craft that were used to travel from the deep draft ships at anchor to the shore. These beamy craft carried two or four rowers with their oars secured by pins or oarlocks. The seating positions were secured in a way that allowed the rowers to put their weight into the pulling of the oars and the small craft were fairly nimble and maneuverable in the surf as they approached shore.
Those somewhat “clunky” rowboats, however were no match for the nimble bark canoes of the North American natives. The canoes, carrying from one to four persons were narrow and quick, highly maneuverable, and propelled by paddles that, in contrast to the heavy hardwood oars of the Europeans, were light and easy to handle.
It would be interesting to know what the people thought of each other and how they reacted to the technology of the others.
For much of my adult life, I have been a paddler. I know a little about sailing and have done a bit of light craft sailing on inland lakes, but most of my boating has been in canoes. I have built three canoes and restored a couple of others. I enjoy paddling and use my canoes as much as I can during the summer months. I also have gotten into kayaking and have built two different kayaks for different types of paddling. I also own a couple of creek kayaks made out of plastic or composite materials. I am fairly competent with either a single or double paddle at least on lakes and rivers. I don’t do class 5 or 5+ rapids and haven’t been tempted to paddle over waterfalls, but most of the rest of streams and rivers are fun for me to paddle.
A couple of years ago, however, I decided to switch technologies of propulsion. Wanting a very stable craft for our young grandson, I built a small rowing yawl. The boat is beamy by the standards of a canoeist, but still rather narrow and at 17 feet long is long enough to be relatively quick ini the water. It has a flat section at the bottom and a skeg at the back to track and to make the boat very stable on the water. I can stand and walk around the little boat with no fear of capsize. It is propelled by a pair of oars. I built the boat with three rowing stations, so it can also be tandem rowed, but one set of oars is sufficient for the way we use the boat at present.
It is a bit of an adjustment for a paddler to switch to rowing. I enjoy facing forward when I paddle and I am used to choosing a destination and a reasonably straight line to reach that location. In the rowboat, I navigate by looking at the shore I am departing and glancing over my shoulder. I sometimes make a bit of a zig zag as I wander through the water. I do better when I have a forward-facing passenger to guide me. Compared to my canoe paddles, the 7 ½ foot oars seem giant and a bit heavy. I have a good rowing seat and footrest and have learned to lean into the oars and usually don’t make too much of a splash as I row, but it is an acquired technique that could use some more practice in order to be as smooth as I imagine seasoned rowers move their craft.
I really have no clue as to which technology, rowing or paddling, is superior. I can see advantages to both. I enjoy the temporary luxury of having both kinds of boats. It is fun to sit in the rowboat and enjoy a picnic on the water. It is great to take my grandson for a boat ride in the boat with his name on its transom. But I’m not ready to give up my canoes, yet. In fact, I suspect that simply because of the weight of the boats and the amount of work to handle them, I’ll be paddling after I’m forced to give up rowing.
And sometimes, when I am paddling or rowing I imagine what it might have been like for the ancients who witnessed the first contact between the two technologies. I think both must have been fascinated by the other’s way of getting around on the water.
Norse sailors became adept in sailing the North Atlantic in Snekkja and Skei. Both types of ships fall into the category of “lonbgships” and were powered both by sail and by oars. Norse explorers made it to Greenland as early as the 10th Century and had permanent colonies in Greenland for about 500 years. Various explorers discovered lands to the west of Greenland as well. Bjami was blown off course and sighted land to the west of Greenland. His reports to Leif Eiriksson inspired Leif to explort the land and both Leif and his brother Thorvald spent winters in Newfoundland with their crews as part of their travels.
Prior to the visits of the Norsemen, Greenlanders had developed skin-on-frame kayaks. The craft were long and narrow and nimble for paddling in the choppy seas of the North Atlantic. They had reasonable cargo capacity and could be used to transport game from distant locations, primarily fish and sea mammals that were harvested for food. The craft, designed for solo paddlers were nimble and maneuverable. The Norse Visitors, in contrast arrived in comparably huge ships that were 50 to 100 feet long. The larger craft had as many as 30 rowing benches and carried large crews. A Snekkja carried 40 rowers and a captain or coxswain. The Skei could carry as many as 80 rowers. Both craft were also outfitted with large sails used primarily for sailing on downwind points of sail.
I imagine that the Norsemen were surprised and amazed at that the tiny and nimble Greenland kayaks could handle the wild and heavy seas. I imagine that the Greenlanders were surprised at the size and heft of the mighty Norse ships.
Later, when sailors from Spain, England and other European countries visited North America they had ships with complex sail plans and towering masts with standing rigging. They had smaller rowing craft that were used to travel from the deep draft ships at anchor to the shore. These beamy craft carried two or four rowers with their oars secured by pins or oarlocks. The seating positions were secured in a way that allowed the rowers to put their weight into the pulling of the oars and the small craft were fairly nimble and maneuverable in the surf as they approached shore.
Those somewhat “clunky” rowboats, however were no match for the nimble bark canoes of the North American natives. The canoes, carrying from one to four persons were narrow and quick, highly maneuverable, and propelled by paddles that, in contrast to the heavy hardwood oars of the Europeans, were light and easy to handle.
It would be interesting to know what the people thought of each other and how they reacted to the technology of the others.
A couple of years ago, however, I decided to switch technologies of propulsion. Wanting a very stable craft for our young grandson, I built a small rowing yawl. The boat is beamy by the standards of a canoeist, but still rather narrow and at 17 feet long is long enough to be relatively quick ini the water. It has a flat section at the bottom and a skeg at the back to track and to make the boat very stable on the water. I can stand and walk around the little boat with no fear of capsize. It is propelled by a pair of oars. I built the boat with three rowing stations, so it can also be tandem rowed, but one set of oars is sufficient for the way we use the boat at present.
I really have no clue as to which technology, rowing or paddling, is superior. I can see advantages to both. I enjoy the temporary luxury of having both kinds of boats. It is fun to sit in the rowboat and enjoy a picnic on the water. It is great to take my grandson for a boat ride in the boat with his name on its transom. But I’m not ready to give up my canoes, yet. In fact, I suspect that simply because of the weight of the boats and the amount of work to handle them, I’ll be paddling after I’m forced to give up rowing.
And sometimes, when I am paddling or rowing I imagine what it might have been like for the ancients who witnessed the first contact between the two technologies. I think both must have been fascinated by the other’s way of getting around on the water.