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There is nothing like a convention panel. You usually wind up learning something fun about one of your favorite actors. For example, did you know Gimli once sank a boat. It turns out that Lord of the Rings actor John Rhys-Davies is a bit of a maritime enthusiast. John’s LOTR costar Sean Astin shared this tidbit during a panel at Emerald City Comic Con.

“You have so much joy and humor,” Astin said, pointing to Rhys-Davies. “Like his boating. He likes to boat. John is in a boat, in the Cook Strait. Like, ‘John, you can’t go on the Cook Strait in your boat. You’re going to die.’ There is a whimsy in you that’s poetic.”

Rhys-Davies then spoke about his misadventures at sea. “I’m so glad you mentioned the boat, because I actually bought a cheap boat, and had it renovated in New Zealand and took it all the way to England where it promptly sank at Moray. And as for being a fisherman, I should be in the Guinness Book of World Records, because when I drop a hook in the water, you can hear the fish laughing.”

“You know I watch on TikTok these people who are going to circumnavigate the globe, and they’ve got satellite phones and their GPS. John’s here with just an ore,” Astin teased.

Imagine having Gimli as your boat captain. It just goes to show you, the sea can be a rough place, even if you’re a Middle Earth Dwarf.

Whether you're Shirefolk, Elven, Dwarven, or something else, there's a good reason to love Lord of the Rings. We do! With that in mind, we have a dragon's horde of goodies for you from a Lord of the Rings reading guide, a Lord of the Rings watch guide, details on the upcoming animated film Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim, a full the Lord of the Rings reunion panel you can watch, how the OG Hobbit actors stay in touch every day on a groupchat, and the true message of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, according to Gimli himself - John Rhys-Davies.