Swing boat

People on a swing boat at Carter's Steam Fair, Prospect Park

A swing boat, colloquially known as a "shuggy boat" in the north east of England, is a fairground ride in which pairs of riders pull ropes to swing back and forth.[1] A similar ride called a pirate ship swings in a similar motion but without the rider pulling on ropes.

Swing boats were one of the earliest fairground rides, common in the Victorian era.[2][3] The Beamish open-air museum in the north of England features an example from the 1830s, named "Skylark". The boats were originally powered by hand, but steam-driven versions began to be introduced in the 1880s.[4]

Examples of Victorian-style manually-operated swing boats are still popular and are generally seen in travelling "period" fairs.[5]

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