Historic row boats undergo traditional treatment ahead of busy tourist season

Windermere's historic row boats have undergone an age-old process to prepare them for carrying passengers ahead of the busy tourist season.

The boats are currently submerged underwater which is part of a traditional process called swelling. This makes the boats watertight again after drying out in storage over the winter months.

At Windermere there are around 55 of the wooden boats with many of them dating back to the 1930s.

The boats have been undergoing a process called "swelling." Credit: Windermere Lake Cruises

Nick Thompson, Operations Manager at Windermere Lake Cruises said: "We give them a lot of care and attention over the winter months to make sure they are preserved for future generations to enjoy.

"But that conservation work means they are out of water and in our work sheds where they dry out, the planks shrink and they develop leaks."

Nick explained the process the boats go through in order to prepare them for the busy tourist season.

He said: "So, before they return to passenger duty for the main visitor season, we put them through this traditional process of swelling.

"By submerging them in water the wood expands and naturally closes any gaps. They will be left submerged for about a week before we pump them out and see if the swelling has been fully effective."

The boats will then become watertight and will be floating before they are fitted with floorboards, footrests, and seating.

“They used to be very much a first-class way of travelling on the lake."

He added: “Victorian ladies would be rowed across Windermere to the area known as Strawberry Gardens to enjoy an afternoon tea.

In those days the boats were very plush with lovely cushions to make the ride extra luxurious.

"We still call the buildings that house our information centre in Bowness Bay the “cushion huts” because that’s where the cushions used to be stored."

The tourist season starts on Saturday 23 March, when the boats will be back in service.

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