Travelling along the Nile in ancient times

Another place I haven't been to.......

I know the ancient Egyptians used barges on the Nile, but how stormy does it get on the river near Cairo? Are you likely ever to get sea-sick travelling on it?

(This may seem a dumb question, but I have my reasons)
 
Another place I haven't been to.......

I know the ancient Egyptians used barges on the Nile, but how stormy does it get on the river near Cairo? Are you likely ever to get sea-sick travelling on it?

(This may seem a dumb question, but I have my reasons)

It never, ever gets stormy on the Nile. Cairo is way inland.
 
I think the way the Nile works is that you sail up the river to the south, and when you want to go down river to the north you just furl the sail and drift with the current. Ferries used oars. That's what I remember reading somewheres.
 
I think the way the Nile works is that you sail up the river to the south, and when you want to go down river to the north you just furl the sail and drift with the current. Ferries used oars. That's what I remember reading somewheres.

Correct. On the Tigris or Euphrates the prevailing winds did work like this so boats were sometimes broken up for the timber once they had "sailed" downstream. An earlier deposable society?
 
My great, great, great, great, etc, grand dad poled a boat down the Mississippi to New Orleans once. They walked home on the Natchez Trace. Later, steamboats could go upriver in a reasonable time and walking up the Trace came to an end. Long ago, long ago.
 
My great, great, great, great, etc, grand dad poled a boat down the Mississippi to New Orleans once. They walked home on the Natchez Trace. Later, steamboats could go upriver in a reasonable time and walking up the Trace came to an end. Long ago, long ago.

I've never heard of the Natchez Trace - but I've just googled it. Looks tough going in summer and winter.....
 
Later, steamboats could go upriver in a reasonable time and walking up the Trace came to an end. Long ago, long ago.
Going upstream has always been the difficult one for pre-steamship craft. Normally one has to use some form of draft animal (rowers, oxen, etc). The Nile is unusual in that one could use the wind to go up it on a very long section.
 
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