While the passengers bailed water with tin cans under the broiling sun, our boatman tinkered away.
From the timesunion.com
First, the boatman puts the boat in the water.
From the usatoday.com
The boatman, my translator, and I made it to the char before the channel water that was splashing into the hull, heavy with silt, could threaten the boat's buoyancy.