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A raft is a flat, buoyant platform, usually constructed of wood, used to float on water. A raft floats because it is made of materials that are lighter than water, and its wide, lightweight platform displaces very little water-- thus, the raft floats.
In the days of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, during the 1830s-40s, rafts were built with logs and planks-- builders would nail the flat planks into the logs to provide a level surface. This made them useful for transporting goods or leisure activities, like fishing. Rafts were often about eight feet across and ten feet long, though the size of the raft depended on the needs of the passenger. Operating a raft was simple. Some rafts were equipped with sails, which allowed wind to push them down the river (just like a modern day sailboat), but all rafts had a long pole, which passengers used to direct the raft. Passengers would push off of the river bottom with the pole and direct themselves into the pull of the current. The current would take over the bulk of the work from there. Of course, going with the current was easier than going against it-- though it wasn’t uncommon for people to have to push against the current to arrive at their destination-- a tough chore without a modern boat motor! Rafts sometimes had a small covering over part or all of its platform which could be used by passengers to seek shelter from rain or other elements, and was useful for storing food and personal items. The use of rafts to transport goods brought about its share of problems, however-- one of which were river pirates. River pirates would hide in secluded areas along the river and attack commercial rafts to steal the goods they were transporting. Piracy remained a problem throughout the rafting era, but as pirates grew bolder, people’s response grew stronger. Many pirates were hanged for their crimes, and as the hazards of the occupation grew more dangerous, piracy slowly came to an end. Coordinated piracy ended on different rivers at different times, but it was all but eliminated by the 1840s-- much to Tom Sawyer’s dismay, I’m sure. Rafts are still in use today, though few are still made from wood. Most modern rafts are made of rubberized synthetic fabric, and they are typically called rubber rafts or inflatables. They still operate on the same principles as the wooden raft: they are lighter than water and displace very little water, which allows them to float. However, these rubber rafts are much safer and have high sides to keep water off the surface, which was a common problem with wooden rafts of the 1840s. There is a lot of adventure, wisdom and happiness to be found in a flat, buoyant platform and a familiar riverbed, a fact that Huck Finn knew over 150 years ago. |
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GLOSSARY
Buoyant able to float or rise to the top of a liquid or gas.
Current flow of water that’s influenced by gravity as the water moves downhill to reduce its potential energy.
Displace something moved (usually involuntarily) from its original position.
Mark Twain pen name for American novelist Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who wrote the Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn adventures, as well as other classics like The Prince and the Pauper & A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.
River Pirates a pirate who operates on, by or along a river.
Synthetic a substance made chemically that is not naturally occurring.
Current flow of water that’s influenced by gravity as the water moves downhill to reduce its potential energy.
Displace something moved (usually involuntarily) from its original position.
Mark Twain pen name for American novelist Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who wrote the Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn adventures, as well as other classics like The Prince and the Pauper & A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.
River Pirates a pirate who operates on, by or along a river.
Synthetic a substance made chemically that is not naturally occurring.
