The Jesus Boots

The tides were running smoothly and the sun, shining through clouds, spread a soft golden mist across the Thames one morning last week. Phalanxes of gray commuters plodded across Tower Bridge toward offices in the City, all but ignoring the busy river. For those who did glance aside, there was a surprise: an impeccably uniformed Royal Navy officer was walking on the Thames.

From a nearby navy minesweeper came a shout: "Where do you think you are? This isn't the Sea of Galilee." That sort of humor no longer bothers bearded Sub-Lieutenant Alan Hogarth, 33, a supply officer currently stationed near London. Since early 1970, when he decided to walk on water, he has become inured to jokes about his "Jesus Boots," the strange contraptions that make his watery strolls possible.

Head Over Keels. The boots, developed with the approval of the Royal Navy, consist of a pair of 30-lb., 4-ft.-long wood and polystyrene boxes, each hollowed and fitted with water-ski foot grips. Each box has a 3-in. keel and is painted dark red, with WALK NAVY lettered in white on the side.

The present pair of watershoes is the third of a series. Two earlier versions failed to work properly: in his first attempt Hogarth simply strapped two chunks of polystyrene to his feet and promptly tipped over in a tiny, 6-ft.-deep pool, plunging into the water head first. Because of the buoyancy of the blocks, he was unable to right himself, and rescuers had to haul him to safety. Undaunted, Hogarth continued to improve the design until he achieved stability. "I could have walked for hours if my legs hadn't begun to ache," he said after last week's excursion.

On the water Hogarth looks rather as if he is skiing. Brandishing a pair of poles stuck into plastic buckets filled with polystyrene, he pushes first one boot and then the other along the surface of the water in a flowing movement.

Patented Boots. Hogarth's shipmates treat him with something less than the dignity his accomplishment deserves. "I won't say what I'm called," he said, "except that it is blasphemous." Hogarth, nonetheless, plans to patent his boots, although he so far has no plans to put them on the market. Neither do his naval superiors. "We backed Hogarth." said a spokesman, "to show we have a sense of humor. We haven't thought of a practical use for the boots yet."

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