This guy apparently wants to build a replica of an old canal boat then actually live in it and dock it on the Buffalo River. He wants to spread some history by showing people what it was like for the canal workers back in the day.
Apparently he’s looking for a 20’ x 40’ space to work on it. I don’t know this guy from a hole in the head but it seems like a pretty cool project and figured I would help spread the word.
What would it have been like, back when the city’s waterfront was bustling, to live on a canal boat? That’s the question that Mike Weekes is asking. What’s even more intriguing is that he’s doing more than asking… he’s actually proposing to build a canal boat between now and March 1st upon which time he plans on spending the summer and fall residing on his creation… hopefully at River Fest Park.
In order to get the job done, Mike is looking for a 20’x40’ space where he can construct the boat. Once built, Mike would like to showcase the 12’x30’ craft on the Buffalo River in order to give people an accurate snapshot that would resemble life on our historic waterfront.
Anything can happen. But hey all he needs is a space for a few months, he’s buying all the materials and putting in the labor I’m assuming. So why not?
I am just shocked that there is an actual market of people asking “What would it have been like, back when the city’s waterfront was bustling, to live on a canal boat?”
He may be building the boat but where is he gonna get the bustling waterfront?
Yeah I think it looks pretty weird too. I’m pretty sure that’s what the boats used to look like though.
---------- Post added at 04:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:58 PM ----------
Well I’m a history nerd so I try to learn as much as I can about Buffalo back in those days. The information is actually pretty hard to come by though and it’s hard to picture the canalside area the way it was back then because it looks COMPLETELY different now. The city rearranged everything.
It’s much easier to find articles on the grain elevators (Is Fry’s grain elevator thing gonna go off? lol) or other eras of Buffalo’s history than it is to find stuff on the canal. Might have a lot to do with the fact that the whole area was a big red light district.
It’s a beer thing, just out of calibration and picking up non-fermented grains. Gotta get that thing fixed.
I dunno, this seems neat. But if he’s having trouble finding the space to build it I find it hard to believe he actually has the resources make it happen.
Well due to the fact that he has his golf clubs in his kitchen, he obviously needs the dock so that he can build a boat to hit golf balls off. Also, there is a Brita filiter… if your going to live on the river in a boat, your going to need to filter your water somehow…