Inflatable boats and rafts are growing in their popularity. This is due to their relatively low costs and ease of transport. Another strong point of these vessels is the fact that they come in almost every imaginable shape and size. This means that there is an inflatable raft or boat for nearly every need, from recreation to military. However, where did these versatile vehicles come from?
The first known inflatable boat has been recorded as far back as 2,900 years ago in Assyria. These first vessels were created from animal skins that were sown together. Since there was no easy way to inflate them, such as with air compressors as we have today, these watercraft were inflated by hand. Not only that, but due to their construction, the men on board were constantly having to blow more air into them in order to keep them from sinking. This was inefficient in many ways, but at the same time, it set in motion a model to continually develop through the years. This is not to say that the first inflatable rafts were not useful. In fact, there are ancient carvings that depict men on rafts using their hands to paddle through the water. This is thought to have been used for both trade and war purposes.
From there, it wasn't until about 1839 that the first Duke of Wellington decided to make his own versions of inflatable boats. During that time and shortly afterward, the use and manufacturing of rubber was becoming more pronounced. This created an entirely new material for which to create rafts from. The rubber was far more buoyant and solid than animal skins; however, there were still problems. With many of the early rubber rafts, they tended to tear at the seams since rubber was a fairly new material to work with.
The development of the inflatable raft and inflatable boat only continued on from there. France, Great Britain, and Germany were all eager to jump on that bandwagon. They all set forth in improving inflatable boats. The Germans were using "pneumatic" boats in their army by 1913. The British were developing one in about 1919 by RFD, and the French had their own prototype by 1934.
It was developments such as the ones made by these countries that spurred further interest in inflatable boats and rafts. As time went on, materials in addition to manufacturing processes improved. Today, many inflatable boats are made of substances such as neoprene and PVC in order to withstand various situations and last for a long time. |
