What is significance of boating in the novel

Three Men in a Boat can be understood as an exploration of what it takes for humans to be truly happy. For the novel’s characters – and for many real laborers in Victorian England – a holiday presents a very special occasion that is anticipated all year. As he chronicles the men’s trip up the Thames, Jerome parses what it means to have a satisfying holiday – and by extension, to be happy. Boating acts as a metaphor for life as they encounter all sorts of problems, conflicts, joys and simple pleasures. They always have the boat and the water to ground them in the elemental experience of their aquatic "road trip."