I've heard the last bit about the boats too. There is a theory that the common folk never really thought that the earth was flat, but a round earth jived with

I've heard the last bit about the boats too. There is a theory that the common folk never really thought that the earth was flat, but a round earth jived with other theories at various times in history (turtles all the way down!) causing the literate few to reject what simple observation makes clear.