Cork Boat (vessel)
Encyclopedia
Cork Boat is a vessel designed and built by American speechwriter John Pollack
and his partner Garth Goldstein. The ship, composed of exactly 165,321 wine corks, took over two years to complete. Over 100 volunteers contributed to the project, and Pollack received numerous donations of materials for it, but most of the corks were provided by Cork Supply USA. Cork Supply USA also paid to ship the boat to Portugal for its trip down the Douro River. The ship looks like a Viking ship
, with a pronounced upward curve in its prow
. It is made of ten hexagonal log
s of corks, each of which is enclosed in netting
and made of tens of cork discs. Each disc contains 127 corks, which are held together with large rubber band
s. When finished in 2002, Pollack and his friends traveled with their ship down the Douro River in Portugal
; his trip received a large amount of media attention. Pollack wrote a memoir about the experience entitled Cork Boat
.
John Pollack
John Pollack is an American originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan whose past occupations include Presidential Speechwriter, author, foreign correspondent, and strolling violinist. In 1995, Pollack won the 18th Annual O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships...
and his partner Garth Goldstein. The ship, composed of exactly 165,321 wine corks, took over two years to complete. Over 100 volunteers contributed to the project, and Pollack received numerous donations of materials for it, but most of the corks were provided by Cork Supply USA. Cork Supply USA also paid to ship the boat to Portugal for its trip down the Douro River. The ship looks like a Viking ship
Viking ship
Viking ships were vessels used during the Viking Age in Northern Europe. Scandinavian tradition of shipbuilding during the Viking Age was characterized by slender and flexible boats, with symmetrical ends with true keel. They were clinker built, which is the overlapping of planks riveted together...
, with a pronounced upward curve in its prow
Prow
thumb|right|295pxThe prow is the forward most part of a ship's bow that cuts through the water. The prow is the part of the bow above the waterline. The terms prow and bow are often used interchangeably to describe the most forward part of a ship and its surrounding parts...
. It is made of ten hexagonal log
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
s of corks, each of which is enclosed in netting
Net (device)
A net, in its primary meaning, comprises fibers woven in a grid-like structure, and is very infrequently mentioned in discussions of philosophy. It blocks the passage of large items, while letting small items and fluids pass...
and made of tens of cork discs. Each disc contains 127 corks, which are held together with large rubber band
Rubber band
A rubber band is a short length of rubber and latex formed in the shape of a loop and is commonly used to hold multiple objects together...
s. When finished in 2002, Pollack and his friends traveled with their ship down the Douro River in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
; his trip received a large amount of media attention. Pollack wrote a memoir about the experience entitled Cork Boat
Cork Boat (book)
Cork Boat is a memoir, first published in 2004, written by American author John Pollack. It is a first-person account of his experience designing and building the Cork Boat, a vessel made of exactly 165,321 wine corks....
.