As I become more confident that my coracle escapades will actually occur, I am thinking more clearly about how it will look. The coracle if worn in the tortoise shell stylee, will be almost impossible to move in if the wind is against me. Ownership of the vessel is important to me rather than religiously following the historical diagrams, and so I believe the coracle worn as above will make more sense on this occasion. I've finished the Ash paddle...I've calling it an oar, which it is not! the defining difference between an oar and a paddle is that an oar is attached to the boat, normally through a roll lock or humbly band, hey hey, it's been ages since I've had the opportunity to use that word!whereas a paddle is borne by the vessel occupant.
Below are two oars that I have rescued from the Ice House. They are not in great shape but hopefully I can save them. They seem to have been there for some time and are fairly saturated with water. Sandy Cowie assures me that they would have been used by the salmon fishers that dragged nets across the river in cobble boats.
I had seen them several times in the ice house but had never recognised them as oars before but rather as old planks of wood, such is the subtletly of the transition between blade and shaft, beautiful!
