Chained links

摘要

Their captains are lucky men. Even at night or in thick fog they have no navigational worries, and other vessels give them a wide berth. Chain ferries may seem an anachronism in the 21st century, but the continued success of such vessels proves a principle established long ago. From earliest times man found that the chances of being swept to a watery death when crossing a fast flowing river were greatly reduced by rigging a lifeline. Even when boats were employed, one or two men could pull a craft across a river using a fixed line with far less effort than would have been required to row it across. This was particularly true of large, flat-bottomed rafts used to carry cattle, building materials, and other heavy or bulky loads.