Messing About in Boats

When I look out upon the cluster of wooden boats on lake Fewa in Pokara, I am reminded of the often quoted passage from Kenneth Grahame’s classic novel Wind in the Willows, “Believe me my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” I totally understand that sentiment, and as I walk along the shoreline there are several makeshift boat yards repairing and maintaining these unique Nepali rowboats.

Some boatmen/shipwrights were replacing risings and gunwales in need of repair, and others were applying fresh coats of paint to tired old boats. I also observed a man twisting cotton which will be packed into the seams between the wooden planks, and another applying putty over the already packed seams.

Once again I think back to my days working onboard the sailing ship Onrust, and the end of season repairs which were required. While the work was sometimes tedious, it was ultimately quite satisfying, since maintaining wooden boats requires a certain level of sentimentality.