HUNTER Irishmen Joe McManus and Jamie Cleere have launched their hand-crafted traditional wooden boat on Lake Macquarie, to cheers from the region's Irish community.
"The excitement levels here are just ridiculous," Mr McManus said.
"It's a bit like opening a business with somebody, when you start on a long journey of building a project like this you really get to know everybody's weaknesses and strengths and so for the two of us we were like four year olds."
The friends launched the 17-foot boat, called a currach, from Coal Point on Monday, eight months after they started its construction.
"It's like a basket covered in canvas, it really sits very high in the water because it's designed to go around very close to the shore for fishing," he said.
"You wouldn't believe how accommodating it is to the water and the water is to it, it is really like a fine guitar and beautiful.
"You start from sitting up and you pull back and everybody leans back, while with a normal rowboat you lean forward and you pull to centre."
Mr McManus said there were ceremonial traditions that came with launching a currach.
The pair's friend Mairtin Mag Uidhir thanked the traditional owners of the land, the Awabakal people - who gave their permission for the launch - and said a few words in Irish.
"We have to put in a little bit of soil from where it was built, so that the instinct for the boat is always to come back to where it's from," Mr McManus said.
"The other thing is we have a twig off one of the trees that we used some of the wood off. You're also supposed to christen the boat with whiskey, the water of life, uisce beatha."
The friends started building the currach at Mr Cleere's East Maitland home last October, after a day paddleboarding on the Hunter River. Maurie Marsden from Marz' Lures donated some of the wood.
Mr Cleere's wife Sandy sewed the canvas that covers the frame and helped paint it with tar to render it waterproof.
Mr Cleere will attend the Three Island Challenge currach race in Ireland on June 18 and meet with Shane Holland, who helped the pair with plans and guidance.
