Boats and Rag Dolls

The first time I saw Rosie and Jim was at Enslow 5 years ago when I had just moored up, and was taking a stroll along the long line of colourful boats moored en route to the Rock of Gibralter public house for a lemonade to wet the whistle. There in the window were two dolls with nooses around their necks dangling down, the youth with me told me they were 'Rosie and Jim'. I am not known for my knowledge of childrens programs, but after the brief encounter and quick education I found it rather apt and in many ways rather profound that dolls associated with boats should be hanging, literally.

Apparently Rosie and Jim are rag dolls, of narrowboat 'rag doll' fame. What I do not know is whether they are meant to be rag dolls themselves, because they look very well stitched from material that doesn't even resemble rags, indeed, their hair is the most ragged bit of them, and quite stylish at that.

Are Rosie and Jim the only 'dolls' associated with our boating world, or are there others?

I cant decide whether it is 'sick' or 'appropriate' to have Rosie and Jim in the window of a boat. Most people think it is highly inappropriate for adults to have teddy bears, and those that do tend to hide them away... yet these toys are displayed for all to see in a shamelessness that puzzles me. What is it that enables an adult on one hand to regress to childrens programs with such vigour yet encourage children to grow out of them?