>...I am of the opinion that pre-historic man was probably sailing the seas long before the last ice age...<
If the boats shown in last night's prog are anything to go by Gordon you're probably right -
"Most encouraging was the realisation that Inuit people today rely on traditional boat building techniques. 'Unbreakable' plastic breaks in the unceasing cold temperatures whereas boats of wood, sealskin and whale oil are resilient and easily maintained. The same materials would have been available to Solutrean boat builders."*