National Solo Sailing Boat

In the grand narrative of naval architecture, there are moments where design, social necessity, and industrial capability converge to create something enduring. The year 1956 was one such moment in the United Kingdom, and Jack Holt was the architect of the movement. While the United States was embracing the fiberglass revolution and the rise of the beach-cat culture, post-war Britain was navigating a different maritime renaissance—one built on plywood, democratized access, and the fervent belief that high-performance sailing should be accessible to the “everyman.” It was in this milieu that the National Solo was conceived, a single-handed racing dinghy that would not only define a generation of sailors but would survive the transition to modern composites to remain one of the most fiercely competitive fleets in Europe today.

For the American boat lover, often raised on a diet of Lasers (ILCA), Sunfish, and the scow families of the Midwest, the National Solo represents a fascinating divergence in the evolutionary tree of dinghy sailing. It is a vessel that champions the “sit-in” rather than “sit-on” philosophy, a design that marries the aesthetic warmth of traditional joinery with the brutal efficiency of modern carbon and foam sandwich construction, and a class that has resisted the urge to simplify its rigging, instead embracing a technical complexity that rewards the cerebral sailor. While the Laser is often compared to a go-kart—raw, simple, and punishing—the National Solo is more akin to a classic British sports car: tunable, idiosyncratic, comfortable, yet capable of surprising speed and precision when handled with finesse.

The Solo was designed to fill a specific void. In the mid-1950s, the single-handed landscape was polarized. At the elite end stood the Olympic Finn, a physical beast of a boat requiring significant weight and strength. At the recreational end were small, often under-canvassed trainers. Jack Holt, already famous for the Merlin Rocket and the Enterprise (also a 1956 vintage), envisioned a boat that bridged this gap—a high-performance planing dinghy that could be built in a garage, sailed by a person of average weight, and handled without the need for a crew. The result was a 3.78-meter (12ft 5in) hull featuring a distinctive double-chine design and a fully battened mainsail, a feature that was revolutionary in the UK at the time.

Today, the National Solo is a testament to the longevity of good design. It has evolved from a plywood home-build project into a highly refined racing machine built by premier yards like Winder and Ovington, utilizing advanced FRP (Foam Reinforced Plastic) techniques. It supports a professional circuit, attracts Olympic-level talent, and yet remains the boat of choice for the club sailor who demands tactical depth without the physical brutality of the hike-hard-or-die classes. This report serves as a comprehensive dossier for the American enthusiast, dissecting the Solo’s history, physics, and performance, and offering a rigorous comparison against the fleets familiar to US waters. We will explore why a design from the era of the Suez Crisis remains not just relevant, but thriving, and what the American market might learn from this British icon.

Description

The National Solo is, at first glance, a deceptive vessel. To the uninitiated, it might appear to be a traditional wooden dinghy, yet closer inspection reveals a highly sophisticated tuning platform. The boat measures exactly 3.78 meters (12 feet 5 inches) in length overall (LOA), a dimension that places it squarely between the smaller US favorites like the 11-foot Moth or Penguin and the larger 13-foot 9-inch Laser. However, length is only one metric of a boat’s character. The beam of 1.55 meters (5 feet 1 inch) is generous for a single-hander, providing significant form stability and a wide platform for the hiking sailor to exert leverage against the rig.

The Hull Form and Aesthetic

The visual signature of the Solo is its hull shape. Unlike the round-bilge curves of a Laser or the flat-bottomed panic of a scow, the Solo features a double-chine hull. These chines—hard longitudinal angles where the hull panels meet—were originally a necessity of plywood construction, allowing flat sheets to be stitched and glued into a complex 3D shape. However, Jack Holt utilized these chines for hydrodynamic gain. The lower chine provides a narrow waterline for light-air efficiency, minimizing wetted surface drag. The upper chine engages when the boat heels or planes, acting as a spray rail to keep the cockpit dry and providing a “trip edge” that helps the boat track upwind and resist leeway.

The aesthetic of the Solo is one of functional beauty. Even modern FRP (fiberglass) boats often retain the classic lines, and many owners opt for “composite” construction—a modern glass hull mated to a varnished wooden deck. This combination offers the maintenance-free durability of a modern racer with the visual warmth of a classic yacht. The cockpit is deep and self-draining in modern iterations, featuring a centerboard case that often doubles as a control console for the myriad lines required to tune the rig.

Ergonomics: The Inward Sloping Deck

One of the most critical design features for the American sailor to appreciate—especially those nursing the “Laser-leg” bruises common after a weekend regatta—is the inward-sloping deck. Jack Holt was acutely aware that his target demographic included club sailors who might sail well into their 50s and 60s. He designed the side decks to slope gently inwards toward the cockpit floor.

• The Mechanism of Comfort: When the sailor hikes (leans out to flatten the boat), the back of their thighs rests against this broad, contoured surface rather than a sharp gunwale edge. This distributes the load over a larger surface area of the leg, reducing pressure points and restricting blood flow less than the vertical sides of other dinghies.

• Tactical Implication: This ergonomic advantage allows sailors to hike harder for longer periods, maintaining maximum righting moment upwind without the rapid fatigue onset associated with less forgiving designs.

Rig Configuration

The rig of the Solo is a stayed sloop configuration minus the jib, utilizing a single mainsail. The mast is keel-stepped (passing through the deck to the floor) and supported by shrouds and a forestay. This is a fundamental divergence from the unstayed (free-standing) masts of the Laser and Finn. The stays allow the mast’s bend characteristics to be manipulated dynamically via rig tension and chocks (blocks at the deck level), giving the sailor profound control over the sail’s shape while underway. The sail itself is fully battened, a feature we will explore in depth in the Propulsion section, but which serves to stabilize the leech and provide a powerful aerodynamic engine.

Specifications Overview

To frame the Solo within the context of global single-handers, we present the following specifications data.

Table 1: National Solo Technical Specifications

History

The history of the National Solo is not merely a chronicle of boat production; it is a lens into the social history of sailing. In 1956, the world was in flux. The Suez Crisis was reshaping geopolitics, rock and roll was reshaping culture, and in the UK, a desire for leisure was colliding with postwar austerity. Sailing, once the preserve of the wealthy yacht owner, was being democratized by the plywood revolution.

1956: The Golden Year of Jack Holt

Jack Holt was a visionary of this era. A boat builder and designer based in Putney, London, he understood that for sailing to grow, it needed to be affordable and accessible. In 1956, he launched two designs that would become icons: the Enterprise and the Solo.

• The Enterprise was designed for the News Chronicle as a “people’s boat”—a two-person dinghy that could be built at home. It became a sensation, with over 23,000 built.

• The Solo was the single-handed sibling. While the Enterprise catered to couples and families, the Solo was for the individual. It was designed to offer the thrill of the International 14 or the Merlin Rocket (other Holt designs) but in a package that one person could manage on and off the water.

The Void in the Market

Before the Solo, single-handed sailing options were limited. The Finn (designed 1949) had been selected for the Olympics, but it was expensive, heavy, and required a “superman” physique to sail competitively. Conversely, the existing smaller dinghies were often boxy, slow, or intended solely for children. Holt identified a “Goldilocks” zone: a boat that was light enough to be roof-topped or trailed by a small car, fast enough to plane readily, but stable enough not to terrify the novice.

The Evolution of the Class

The Solo class was adopted rapidly. Early adoption was driven by the availability of kits; a sailor could buy the plans and a stack of plywood and build their own racer over a winter. This created a massive, decentralized fleet across the UK, Holland, and later Australia.

• The 1970s & The Metal Mast: The class transitioned from wooden masts to aluminum (Needlespar, Proctor) in the 1970s. This changed the tuning dynamic, allowing for more consistent bend characteristics and higher rig tension.

• The Fiberglass Transition: As plywood fell out of favor for mass production, the class association managed a careful transition to GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic). Unlike some classes where the plastic boats immediately outclassed the wood ones (or vice versa), strict one-design rules on weight and weight distribution kept the older wooden boats competitive for decades.

• Modern Era (2000s – Present): The introduction of high-precision FRP molds by builders like Winder and Ovington revitalized the class. These boats were stiffer, required zero maintenance, and were incredibly consistent. This sparked a resurgence in popularity, leading to record fleet sizes at National Championships in the 2010s and 2020s.

Table 2: Historical Timeline of the National Solo

Year	Event	Significance for the Class
1956	Design Launch	Jack Holt designs the National Solo alongside the Enterprise.
1960s	Home Build Boom	Thousands of plywood kits sold; fleets establish in UK/NL.
1970s	Alloy Masts Introduced	Transition from wooden spars to aluminum increases performance/consistency.
1980s	GRP Introduction	Early fiberglass hulls appear; class rules tighten to ensure parity.
2000	Winder Mark 1 Hull	Winder Boats introduces a highly successful FRP hull shape.
2006	50th Anniversary	Celebrated with massive fleet turnouts; class reaffirmed as a UK staple.
2016	60th Anniversary	Over 5,700 sail numbers issued; introduction of new laminate sail technologies.
2024	Modern Dominance	Winder and Ovington FRP hulls dominate the podium; wooden decks remain popular for style.

Design

The brilliance of the Solo lies in its specific design choices, which prioritize controllable power. Jack Holt did not design the fastest 12-foot boat possible; he designed the most usable 12-foot performance boat. This distinction is crucial for understanding its appeal over faster, more skittish skiffs.

Hydrodynamics: The Double Chine Explained

The most technically interesting feature of the Solo is its double-chine hull.

• Construction Origin: As noted, this allowed plywood panels to form a hull shape. A round bilge (smooth curve) is difficult to achieve with sheet plywood without “torturing” the wood. A single chine (V-shape) is easy but has high wetted surface drag. A double chine approximates a round bilge using three flat panels per side.

• Physics of the Chine:

  • Upwind: When sailing upright or with slight heel, the lower chine bites into the water, providing lateral resistance. The flat bottom panel promotes planing.

  • Heeling: As the boat heels, the “middle” panel (between the two chines) presents a relatively flat surface to the water at an angle. This generates dynamic lift. More importantly, the hard angle of the chine acts as a “trip” for the water flow, breaking the suction and allowing the water to release cleanly from the hull, which reduces drag compared to a round bilge that might “hold” the water up the side of the hull.

  • Stability: The wide beam at the gunwale (upper chine) creates a large moment arm for the center of buoyancy as the boat heels. This gives the Solo exceptional “secondary stability”—it feels tippy at first (primary stability), but as it leans, it hits a “wall” of resistance where it becomes very stable.

The Rocker Controversy: Mk1 vs. Mk2 Hulls

While the Solo is a “One Design,” the rules allow for a tolerance of +/- several millimeters at various measurement stations. This has allowed builders to optimize hull shapes for different conditions and sailor weights. The most prominent distinction in the modern fleet is between the Winder Mk1 and Mk2 hulls.

• Winder Mk1:

  • Shape: Flatter rocker profile (less curve on the bottom), maximum waterline length.

  • Physics: A flatter rocker promotes early planing because the water has a straighter path to exit the stern. It maximizes the waterline length for displacement speed.

  • Target: Better for lighter sailors (<85kg) and open water/sea conditions where straight-line speed is paramount.

• Winder Mk2:

  • Shape: Increased rocker (more “banana” shape), fuller bow sections, more “V” in the hull.

  • Physics: The increased curve allows the boat to pivot more easily around its center of lateral resistance. This makes tacking faster and tighter. The fuller volume supports more weight without submerging the transom.

  • Target: Better for heavier sailors (>85kg) and inland waters (lakes/reservoirs) where shifty winds demand frequent, rapid tacking.

Table 3: Hull Shape Characteristics Comparison

Feature	Winder Mk1 Hull	Winder Mk2 Hull	Hydrodynamic Implication
Rocker Profile	Low / Flat	High / Curved	Mk1 has lower wave-making drag; Mk2 has lower turning resistance.
Waterline Length	Maximum	Slightly Reduced	Mk1 has higher theoretical hull speed; Mk2 carries load better.
Bow Entry	Finer / Sharp	Fuller / V-Shape	Mk2 lifts over chop better; Mk1 pierces flat water.
Turning Circle	Wider	Tighter	Mk2 wins in tacking duels on small lakes.
Ideal Sailor Weight	70kg – 85kg	85kg – 100kg+	Mk2 displacement volume prevents stern drag with heavy helms.

Propulsion

The Solo’s propulsion system is a fascinating case study in low-speed aerodynamics. It utilizes a cat-rigged (single sail) configuration, but unlike the Laser, it employs a fully battened mainsail on a stayed mast.

The Fully Battened Mainsail

In 1956, fitting full-length battens (stiffeners running from the mast to the trailing edge) was an innovative move for a production dinghy.

• Aerodynamic Stability: A soft sail (like a Laser or Sunfish) relies on wind pressure to hold its shape. If the pressure drops or the angle of attack is wrong, the sail collapses or flutters. A fully battened sail is a “semi-rigid wing.” The battens force the sail cloth to maintain an airfoil shape even in zero wind. This allows the sail to generate lift at lower wind speeds, giving the Solo its legendary “ghosting” ability in light airs.

• The Roach: The battens support a large “roach”—the area of the sail that extends aft of the straight line between the head and clew. This extra area provides significant power without increasing the height of the mast (and thus the heeling moment).

• Depowering: In high winds, the battens prevent the sail from flogging (flapping violently). Instead, the sail can be “feathered”—angled so the front part luffs while the back part remains streamlined. This reduces drag and makes the boat manageable in survival conditions.

The Stayed Mast: A Tuning Instrument

The Solo mast is held up by shrouds and a forestay. This triangulation is not just for support; it is for shaping.

• Mast Rake: This is the primary heavy-weather control. By loosening the forestay and tightening the shrouds, the sailor can rake the mast aft.

  • Effect: Moving the mast back moves the Center of Effort (CE) aft, which can help balance the helm. More importantly, it changes the geometry of the leech (back edge of the sail). Extreme rake allows the leech to twist off, spilling power from the top of the sail to keep the boat flat.

• Chocks: The mast passes through a “gate” at the deck level. Sailors insert “chocks” (blocks) in front of the mast.

  • Mechanism: Pushing the mast back against the chocks (using the kicker/vang) bends the mast. A bent mast pulls the luff of the sail into a curve, which flattens the sail cloth. A flatter sail is less powerful and has less drag—perfect for high winds.

  • Removal: Taking chocks out allows the mast to straighten or bend forward at the deck, inducing a different bend profile for different wave conditions.

Table 4: Rig Tuning & Handling Matrix

Wind Condition	Mast Rake Setting	Chock Position	Kicker (Vang)	Traveller Position	Aerodynamic Goal
Light (0-8 kts)	Upright (~5960mm)	Neutral / In	Loose / Off	Centerline	Maximize draft (camber) for power; keep leech closed to trap air.
Medium (8-15 kts)	Standard	Neutral	Moderate	Center / Slightly Dropped	Balance power vs. heel; induce slight twist in leech.
Heavy (16-25 kts)	Raked Aft (~5940mm)	Chocks In / Adjusted	Very Tight	Center (Use mainsheet tension)	Flatten sail completely; twist top open to spill gusts; keep boat flat.
Survival (25+ kts)	Max Rake	Chocks Out (allow lower bend)	Max Tension	Center / Ease Sheet	Survive. Reduce all drag.

Construction and Materials

The Solo’s construction history is a microcosm of the boat-building industry’s shift from organic to synthetic materials.

The Era of Wood

The original Solos were built of plywood—typically mahogany or okoume marine ply.

• Method: Stitch-and-glue or frame-built.

• Characteristics: Wood has a high strength-to-weight ratio and natural damping properties. A wooden Solo feels different in the water; it absorbs the shock of the chop rather than ringing like a bell.

• Status: Wooden boats are still prized. A beautifully varnished wooden Solo is a piece of furniture that goes fast. However, they require annual maintenance (varnishing, checking for rot).

The FRP (Fiberglass) Revolution

Modern racing Solos are predominantly Foam Reinforced Plastic (FRP).

• Method: A sandwich construction. An outer skin of glass fiber, a core of high-density foam (like Airex or Divinycell), and an inner skin of glass fiber are bonded with epoxy or vinylester resin under vacuum.

• Benefits: This creates a hull that is incredibly stiff (transferring all wind energy to speed rather than flexing the hull) and totally impervious to water absorption. An FRP boat weighs the same after 10 years as it did on day one.

• Correction Weight: Because modern construction is so efficient, hulls often come out under the minimum weight of 70kg. Builders must add lead correctors to bring them up to spec. This is advantageous, as the lead can be placed low and central (under the thwart), lowering the Center of Gravity (CG) compared to a wooden boat where the weight is in the skin itself.

The Composite Hybrid

The “Composite” Solo is perhaps the most popular choice for the discerning owner.

• Configuration: An FRP hull (for speed, stiffness, and low maintenance) bonded to a wooden deck (for aesthetics and stiffness).

• Utility: The wooden deck allows sailors to easily screw in new fittings or move control lines without the difficulty of drilling into a foam core and sealing it. It creates a boat that looks classic but races modern.

Table 5: Construction Material Comparison

Material System	Stiffness	Durability	Maintenance	Est. Lifespan (Comp.)	Cost (New)
All Wood	High (Initial)	Moderate (Rot risk)	High (Varnish)	10-20 Years	High (Custom)
FRP (Epoxy Foam)	Very High	Very High	Low (Wash)	20+ Years	Standard (~£10k)
Composite (FRP/Wood)	High	High	Moderate (Deck)	20+ Years	Premium
Vintage Plywood	Low/Med	Low	High	Indefinite (if loved)	Entry Level (~£500)

Types and Variations

While a “One Design,” variations exist based on builder and era.

1. Winder Boats (Mk1/Mk2): The current market leaders. Known for bombproof construction and championship winning pedigree.

2. Ovington Boats: The builder of the Olympic 49er and ILCA. Their Solos are renowned for finish quality and consistency. They utilize molds acquired from Boon Boats, featuring a design distinct from Winder.

3. Goat Marine: A newer entrant focusing on optimized layouts and high-modulus materials within class rules.

4. The “Classic” Fleet: Boats older than roughly 20 years (often pre-sail number 4000) race in a dedicated “Classic” series, keeping the heritage alive.

The US Market Comparison: A Contextual Analysis

For the USA-based audience, the Solo is an anomaly. Why is it not famous in Annapolis, Newport, or San Francisco? The answer lies in the diverging histories of the US and UK markets. The US embraced the Laser (Canadian design) and the homegrown Scow/Sunfish fleets. However, comparing the Solo to these boats reveals what American sailors might be missing.

Solo vs. Laser (ILCA)

The Laser is the global standard, but it is not necessarily the “better” boat for the general public.

• Comfort: The Laser has a shallow cockpit and straight gunwales. Hiking requires straight-legging over a hard edge, cutting off circulation. The Solo has deep cockpits and sloped decks. It is infinitely more comfortable.

• Weight Sensitivity: The Laser Standard (ILCA 7) is for 175-185lb sailors. If you are 210lbs, you are slow. The Laser Radial (ILCA 6) is for 135-155lbs. If you are a 190lb male, there is no Laser for you. The Solo, with its tunable rig, can be competitive with sailors from 160lbs to 230lbs (75-105kg).

• Performance: In waves and heavy air, the Laser (longer, rounder) is faster and surfs better. In light air and flat water, the Solo (battened sail, efficient hull) is often faster and points higher.

Solo vs. MC Scow

The MC Scow is the closest US spiritual equivalent—a 1950s design for the club sailor.

• Philosophy: Both are “sit-in” boats. Both attract older sailors who want tactical racing.

• Size: The MC is a scow (flat, blunt). It is 16 feet long and weighs 420 lbs. It is a “maxi” dinghy. The Solo is a pointed dinghy, 12.5 feet long, and weighs 150 lbs. The MC requires a trailer ramp; the Solo can be dolly-launched by one person easily.

• Dynamics: The MC sails on its ear (heeled 15 degrees) to reduce wetted surface. The Solo sails flatter. The MC is faster in a straight line due to sail area (135 sq ft vs 90 sq ft), but the Solo is more agile.

Solo vs. Sunfish

• Complexity: The Sunfish is the ultimate simple boat—two lines, lateen rig. The Solo is a technical boat—traveller, inhaul, outhaul, cunningham, rake, chocks. The Solo appeals to the sailor who likes to tinker; the Sunfish appeals to the sailor who just wants to go.

Table 6: The “Big Four” Single-Hander Comparison for US Market

Feature	National Solo	Laser (ILCA 7)	MC Scow	Sunfish
Origin	UK, 1956 (Holt)	Canada/USA, 1970 (Kirby)	USA, 1956 (Melges)	USA, 1952 (Cort/Barrington)
Length	12′ 5″ (3.78m)	13′ 9″ (4.23m)	16′ 0″ (4.88m)	13′ 9″ (4.19m)
Hull Weight	150 lbs (70kg)	130 lbs (59kg)	420 lbs (191kg)	120 lbs (54kg)
Sail Area	90 sq ft (8.4m²)	76 sq ft (7.1m²)	135 sq ft (12.5m²)	75 sq ft (7.0m²)
Rig Type	Stayed, Full Batten	Unstayed, Soft Sail	Stayed, Cat Scow	Unstayed, Lateen
Ideal Sailor Weight	165 – 230 lbs	175 – 190 lbs	200 – 300 lbs (or crew)	130 – 180 lbs
Hiking Comfort	High (Sloped decks)	Low (Hard rails)	High (Wide cockpit)	Moderate (Small cockpit)
Transport	Car Top / Trailer	Car Top	Trailer Required	Car Top

Table 7: Handicap Ratings Comparison (Lower is Faster)

(Note: D-PN estimate for Solo based on PY conversion factors and historical comparisons).

Performance and Handling

Sailing the Solo is an exercise in momentum management and “gears.”

Upwind Technique

The Solo rewards “footing.” Because of the hard chines, pinching (sailing too close to the wind) kills speed instantly. The goal is to sail slightly free, keeping the boat moving fast enough for the chines to generate lift.

• Body Position: The sailor sits forward, near the thwart, to keep the transom out of the water. As the wind increases, they move back.

• Hiking: The inward sloping decks allow for a “straight-leg” hike that is more sustainable than on a Laser. The sailor locks their feet under the straps and levers their weight out.

• Playing the Mainsheet: Unlike the Laser where you “vang sheet” (set the vang tight and play the sheet), the Solo uses the traveller. In medium winds, the traveller car is dropped down the track to keep the boat flat while maintaining leech tension.

Downwind Technique

The Solo is not a planing skiff that sails angles. It is a “straight-line” planer.

• The Run: In light air, the boat is heeled to windward to reduce wetted surface (lifting the leeward chine). The fully battened sail is stable and doesn’t collapse easily.

• The Gybe: This is the most physical maneuver. The fully battened sail stores energy. When it pops across, the battens snap with force. The boom is long and low. The helm must be agile to cross the cockpit without getting decapitated by the boom or tangled in the traveller.

Buying and Ownership

For the US enthusiast, acquiring a Solo is the biggest hurdle. There is no active US builder.

• Import: Buying a second-hand Winder or Ovington from the UK is the most viable route. Shipping a container with 3-4 boats is a common strategy for starting a new fleet.

• Cost: A brand new, race-ready Winder Solo costs approximately £10,000 – £12,000 ($13,000 – $15,000 USD). A competitive used boat (5-8 years old) can be found for £4,000 – £6,000 ($5,000 – $7,500 USD).

• Resale: In the UK, Solos hold value incredibly well due to the stable class rules. In the US, it would be a niche item, potentially harder to liquidate.

Table 8: Cost of Ownership Analysis (Annual)

Expense Item	Estimated Cost (USD)	Notes
Insurance	$150 – $300	Standard dinghy insurance.
Sails	$600 – $800	One new sail per season for serious racing; every 3 years for club.
Ropes/Fittings	$100 – $200	Continuous control lines wear out.
Club Fees	Variable	Depends on local yacht club.
Depreciation	Low (<5%)	FRP boats depreciate very slowly compared to cars.

Conclusion

The National Solo is a paradox. It is a 1956 design that feels modern. It is a “sit-in” boat that requires the fitness of a “sit-on” hiker. It is complex to tune but simple to sail. For the American sailor, it represents a path not taken—a divergence from the hegemony of the Laser into a world where hull shape, mast bend, and batten tension are the colors with which you paint your race.

Jack Holt’s genius was not in creating a speed demon, but in creating a companion. The Solo is a boat that grows with you. It is forgiving enough for the novice to sail without capsizing, yet deep enough for the Olympic aspirant to spend years mastering its tuning matrix. It honors the physical limitations of the adult body with its ergonomic decks while challenging the mind with its tactical depth.

While it is unlikely to overthrow the Laser in the United States due to sheer market inertia, the National Solo deserves a place in the heart—and perhaps the garage—of any true boat lover. It is a reminder that the newest technology is not always the best technology, and that sometimes, a sheet of plywood, a set of battens, and a clever idea from 1956 are all you need to find bliss on the water.