Windermere’s Historic Wooden Row Boats

Behind the Scenes Work Helps Preserve Windermere’s Historic Wooden Row Boats

Windermere’s iconic wooden row boats are about to be lifted from the water for the annual work which ensures the historic vessels are preserved for future generations to enjoy.

This Half Term week is the final chance this year for boat lovers to take to the water in the row boats which have been a quintessential Lake District fixture since Victorian times.

Windermere Lake Cruises has a fleet of around 55 wooden row boats and many of them date back to the 1930s. But the traditional clinker-built boats have been a popular attraction on Windermere since Victorian times.

Russell Bowden, Operations Manager at Windermere Lake Cruises, says: “Rowing boats used to be very much a first-class way of travelling on the lake. Victorian ladies would be rowed across Windermere to the area known as Strawberry Gardens to enjoy an afternoon tea.

“The boats were very plush and had lovely cushions to make the ride luxurious,” explains Russell: “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!”

Modern day row-boat lovers can continue to take a trip in the wooden boats until the end of Half Term week on Sunday, October 30. Then, they are taken out of the water to begin their annual conservation treatment.

“First they are stripped of their oars and fixtures and fittings,” explains Windermere Lake Cruises’ Boatbuilder Mark Fleming.

“Then they are cleaned with a power washer and small brushes before they are taken to our boat yard www.lancmag.com

to be dried out. Repairs are made to any planks or timbers that need work and the boats are varnished and painted.”

They will be kept in dry storage over the winter months before being brought back into action for Easter 2023.

“If we put them straight back into the water from dry storage they would just sink immediately,” says Mark. “All of the wood contracts when it dries so we have to put them through a process called “swelling up” before they go back into service.”

That can involve putting them in and filling them up with water, so the planks re-absorb the moisture and the wooden structure becomes water tight once more ready for a new season of delighting visitors.

Windermere Lake Cruises is one of the top ten most visited “paid for” attractions in the country. While the rowing boats go into storage for winter, its fleet of larger passenger vessels operate every day of the year apart from Christmas Day.

And for those who like to explore the lake at their own pace – the popular self-drive electric-powered boats remain available for hire throughout the winter months.

HOW DUST CAN MAKE US ILL

By Airborne Allergens Expert, Max Wiseberg

www.haymax.biz

Many people may be unaware that their Winter sneezes may be down to a dust mite allergy. This allergy is in fact a reaction to proteins in the excretion of the dust mites. Yes, that’s right, you’re allergic to dust mite poo!

All homes in the UK have dust mites, but due to their tiny size, around 0.25mm, and translucent bodies, they are almost invisible to the naked eye. But don’t worry – unless you have a dust mite allergy, they are harmless. When the allergenic proteins are breathed in or make contact with the skin of an allergic person, their body reacts with symptoms – wheezing, sneezing, runny nose and soreness and redness of the skin and eyes. Dust mites thrive in warm humid environments, our beds being one of their favourite spots. We spend about a third of our day in bed, shedding skin cells and creating moisture with our breath and bodies which the microscopic mites need to live on.

So what can we do to help? Well if there’s less allergen, there’s less reaction. What this means is that prevention is key with allergies. No home is 100% allergen free, but there are some simple ways to minimise the allergens around you and getting in your body. Here are some simple, easy to implement tips:

• Use an organic, drug-free allergen barrier balm such as HayMax, applied to the nostrils and bones of the eyes in the morning and throughout the day.

HayMax is proven to trap dust allergens (as well as pet allergens and over a third of pollen particles) before they enter the body, where they can cause symptoms[1]. Less pollen, less reaction! • Keep pets off sofas and beds (and out of the bedroom altogether if possible). • Damp dust surfaces and vacuum regularly, including fabrics and upholstery. It may also be beneficial to install ‘Allergy Friendly’ flooring. • Consider using an air filter/purifier with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particle

Arresting) filter to capture the dust particles and circulate the air. • Use allergy friendly mattress covers and bedding. Keep cuddly toys and blankets in a cupboard to prevent the build-up of allergens on them. • Don’t dry clothes inside over a radiator as this increases the humidity in your home and can result in mould, which releases tiny spores into the air that you breathe. Mould and dust mites thrive in moist environments. Keep the humidity in your house between 40% and 20% to control allergens. • Be careful when using harsh chemicals for cleaning. The fumes can exacerbate breathing problems (a common trigger for asthma) and cause skin irritation. • You could also try using a saline nasal rinse, antihistamines which are available over the counter as well as on prescription, a steroid nasal spray or eye drops. And if this is not enough try combining products and create your own dust allergy first aid kit. One or more natural product, such as an allergen barrier balm, one antihistamine, one nasal spray and eye drops.

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