History of Boating

History of boating may take you to more that ten thousand years ago. People have relied on boats since long it has been an effective means of transportation for many years now and still is. Many historians believe that the it was the Greeks in the ancient times who first began exploring the Aegean Sea. The mountainous terrain of Greece contributed to the importance of boating; travel through sea became the easiest and the most economical way for the ancient Greeks to trade goods.

Many clay tablets have been found belonging to the time period of ancient Egypt, that is may be even more than 6000 years ago where they have represented and hinted about the sea travel. The Egyptians relied on boats and the Nile river to travel and transport goods. While many of the boats from ancient Egypt bore a striking Resemblance to rowed boats still in use today, others were used to transport building materials and monuments and could be as long as 300 feet. These transports Boats were even longer than any of the wooden warships built during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The design and construction of ancient boats reflected their use. Ancient warships had to be fast, large enough to carry soldiers, and it is supposed to be easily maneuverable. As a result, the standard boat design for war was a long and narrow ship, powered by several rows of oars. Ancient Greek warships reached 118 feet in length and required more than 170 oarsmen. Cargo ships were designed to carry as much as possible with the smallest crew. Over time, cargo boats became rounder and higher, to transport more trade goods and ensure that the upper decks were above the waterline. Even the navigation was an art in itself. It is said that the birth of 'art of navigation' took place during the time period of 3500 B.C.

When the navigators stay closed to the shore and had specific landmarks while traveling till their destination is reached. And when they did venture out of sight of land, the navigator was able to determine his latitude by observing the height of the sun during the day and the North Star at night. Later when they became experienced at these it was the constellation of stars they depended upon. As the time passed many instruments from cross-staff and astrolabe to the present days GPS system were developed to help making boating a pleasant experience.