Our understanding of watercraft is greatly enhanced by a practical understanding of how they work; not only how they function, but how people operate them, interact with them and with each other while aboard. Accordingly, the CMA places an emphasis on the practical experience which can be gained from using and understanding traditional watercraft.
In conjunction with Atlantic Challenge Great Britain, the CMA uses a 38ft ship’s boat, reconstructed from a 1790s original, to allow students and staff the experience of working under sail and oar in a traditional, open, wooden vessel with no engine. Now operating in Lyme Regis, the boat offers a genuine chance to understand how people have moved about maritime landscapes, in broadly similar vessels, under sail or oar, in the past. In addition, the experience helps students develop an understanding of the complexities of working within a crew of thirteen people, since even on a small vessel the onboard social structures relating to command and task management become quickly apparent. Equally evident is the workload required to build and maintain even a small vessel, allowing students a stronger appreciation of the broader, land-based dynamics of seafaring societies.