Introductory material (continued 4)

These characteristics distinguish them almost immediately from the boats of the other provinces. The “Somp” is 15.50 m. long, 3.70 m. beam and 1.80 m. deep.

When the “Somp” is smaller and draws less water it is called a “Pegge”, of which the dimensions are respectively 12.00 m., 2.65 m. and 1.45 m.

The dimensions of the “Snijboon” are 17.50 m., 3.90 m. and 1.50 m.

THE HOOGEVEENSCHE PRAAM.

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The Hoogeveensche Praam is an open vessel, of relatively recent date, descended from the Somp but having a fuller bow and stern.

THE PRAAM.

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The tendency, already noticed in the XVIIth and at the beginning of the XVIIIth century, to build larger and fuller vessels (VAN YK, p 348), became still more marked in the XIXth century. It is thus that the “Snijboonen” and “Sompen” are seen to increase in size and that birth is given to the Praam of which the size and load can be compared with those of the Hoy.

III 36

The “Pram” has retained, however, the slender bow and stern as also the characteristic line of the bends. (LE COMTE, p. 23.) All of these vessels have the “draai-over-boord” often accompanied with a poop deck. Hence these “Pramen” are totally separated from the vessels of the “Semaque” (hoy) group met with in Friesland and Groningen. They have nothing to do with the Groninger Aardappelpraam or with the Groninger Slijkpraam, or with the Friesche Praam which belong to the “Hoy” group. The name of Praam which is met with in Overijssel only at the end of the XVIIIth or beginning of the XIXth century is not purely Dutch. The Marquis DE TOLIN says, for example (p. 175), that Napoleon caused to be built for his Boulogne fleet a few “prams”, flat bottomed vessels, 37 m. long, 8 m. wide and drawing about 2.50 m. They were rigged with three masts and were armed with cannon. (DE BONNEFOUX and PARIS; Dictionnaire de Marine à Voiles, anno 1847, p. 59.) Twenty “Prams” of this kind are said to have been built. They had nothing in common, however, with our “Pramen” unless it were that both vessels were flat bottomed. The Marquis DE TOLIN describes the Dutch “Praam” in his book (p. 144); but this description lacks precision, because the “Overijsselsche” and “Friesche Pramen” are grouped together.

The “Friesche praam” (pram of Friesland) is merely a small hoy with rather slight sheer and provided with a “statie”; while the other is a flat bottomed vessel with “draai-over-boord” and never with a “statie”.

LE COMTE (p. 29) says that the first of these vessels were built only in the province of Drenthe, at Meppel and Hoogeveen, and he too groups the hoy with the “Friesche pram”. So he writes (p. 14), for example, that the “hoys” sometimes have movable washboards when they load above the gunwales, whereas this is especially characteristic of the “Friesche pramen”.

Meanwhile, the Pram is often spoken of in Holland, although no vessel bearing that name, or one resembling the Overijsselsche Praam, is found there. This name is used then to designate vessels in general.

The big “Overijsselsche Praam”, as it is known to-day, dates only from the second half of the XIXth century and its increase in size is due solely to the improvement of existing canals and to the opening to traffic of new navigable highways, nearly all dating from the same period. In this way, the “Drentsche Hoofdvaart” was only connected with Groningen by the construction of the Noord Willemsvaart in 1858-1862; (see Gedenkboek Koninklijk Instituut van Ingenieurs, p. 31). The Hoogeveensche vaart, dug in 1623 as an “Echtens nieuwe grift”, was only extended eastward and improved between 1850 and 1860 and the Meppelerdiep was improved only in 1860 and 1882.

The final junction of Friesland and Groningen by water is also of recent date; communication was had formerly only by sea. The inland communication between these provinces was still very primitive until the beginning of the XIXth century. It was only after 1851 that improvement was spoken of, and in 1864, the Gaarkeuken lock was rebuilt, at the boundary between the two provinces, with a width, of 6 metres and a neat length of 26 metres. The Stadskanaal, started in 1766 or 1767 was only finished in 1858.

It was also only in the XIXth century that the improvement of the junction between Overijssel and Friesland, accomplished by the removal of the high peat bogs, was begun, and the junction of the northern with the southern provinces of the Netherlands was brought about in 1820 by the opening of the “Willemsvaart” (which connects the Yssel with the Zwartewater). A water supply canal had really been built from Zwolle toward Yssel as far back as the XIVth century, and improvement of this canal, so as to make it navigable had really been begun in 1480, but the reciprocal jealousy of the cities of Yssel stopped these works. (Dr. H. BLINK, vol. II, p. 282.) Up to the first half of the XIXth century, water communications between the northern provinces were had under these conditions, by way of the Zuyder Zee, communications for which vessels of the hoy group were, at first used exclusively. The “Potten” and the “Pujen”, like the “Sompen” and “Peggen”, were unable to stand the high seas (WITSEN, p. 170.) and only the “Prams”, which appeared later, were able by reason of their size and strength to take the open sea, and soon to spread over all our country.

It is interesting to inquire however, how the name “Praams” came to be admitted into a country where there existed so many other and more appropriate names. There is no doubt that the influence of the province of Groningen brought about this adoption. In fact, the city of Groningen decided, by the “Convenant van 1817” (treaty of 1817, a time when the big Pramen of Overijssel were not yet built) that people coming to the market must pay, like every one else, the ordinary tolls at bridges, locks and gates of existing canals. There was to be paid for the canals to be built thirty cents at each lock for a “schip” (boat) and ten cents for a “pram”. The same distinction between boat and “pram” was already found in the old tariffs. For example: the “Stadsordonnantie” of January 28, 1773, lays down that a boat shall pay 15 sous at the locks of the city and a “pram” only 4 sous. It appears from all this that a distinction was made at Groningen between the “boat” and the “pram” and from the great difference in price it is clear that a “pram” was a small boat.

This is so evident that more ample explanations in regard to the nature of the “pram” have not been sought, and it is clear that the well known “Slijkpramen” of the province of Groningen are meant, the “Slijkpramen” being used just as well in the Dollard as in the peat bogs. They are small narrow boats, open above, with a straight longitudinal section, full bow and stern (like the hoys of Groningen). They are found also, with a few changes, under the name of “Vlotpramen”.

When, after the completion of the Noord Willemsvaart in 1862, the direct connection between Overijssel and Groningen was accomplished and this latter province could be reached by the large Overijssel boats, which had also sides with no sheer, it was found evidently advantageous to call these vessels simply “Prams”. In this way, advantage was taken of the lower rate and, considering the resulting profits, good care was taken not to change the name “Pram” to that of “Schip”. It was only in 1903 that a judgment of the justice of the peace of Groningen decided that the vessels in question must be considered as “Schepen” and not as “Pramen”, considered by the above mentioned covenant. (Provinciale Groninger Courant, Dinsdag, 24 Februari 1903, N^o 46.) This judgment, which put an end to the advantages mentioned above, was given as the result of a report of experts dated December 24, 1902. Among the preambles of this report is pointed out the French translation of an article of the tariff sheet appended to the convenant of 1817, where the word “Praam” was translated officially by “bateau dit vlotpraam”, meaning by that, and rightly, the small open “praam” of Groningen. The experts were mistaken, however, in saying that the present large “prams” were descended from the “vlotpraam” of Groningen. These prams are exactly like the Overijssel boats, but their dimensions are larger. Furthermore, they never belonged to the Groningen class of vessels. Their fine bow and stern are the most striking proof of this. In order to settle the type of the “prams”, search should not have been made alone in Groningen, as was done by the experts, but a comparison should have been made between the types of this province and those of Overijssel.

To refer, as in the report of the experts, to a few earlier judgments where it is a question of “Praamschip” proves just as little, because there is no sense in considering the name of a boat, the type is what is required. The conclusion of the report is still more absurd, seeing that it says that the “praam” is a “boat” (schip), because the owner is called a “boatman” (schipper)!

The covenant of 1817 was not applicable to the “Overijsselsche pramen” because these did not exist when the agreement was concluded.

What precedes shows plainly that it is important to classify boats clearly and to determine beyond doubt the country to which the types belong.

It is perfectly natural that Overijssel should have found itself under the influence of the other provinces. So, the “Hoy” is found along the Zuyder-Zee and, in the XVIIth century, the “IJzeren Verken” (anglice: iron hog) is a boat which should also be classed among the hoys and which WITSEN calls a solid boat from Overijssel (p. 170). In the same way, the “statie” from Friesland is taken up in Overijssel, it being originally from the former province.

III 37

It will be useless to note that “Praamaken” and “Aaktjalken” are met with, that is to say a few boats having the shape of the “Praam” and of the Hoy, but without a stem. The bottom ends in the nose and the planking is assembled on this front face.

Many “hoys” and “prams” have been built of iron during recent years. They still show characteristic differences among themselves, but it is to be expected that finally the forms will be confounded, when the “prams” will have taken fuller forms and the sheer of the hoys will have been reduced.

THE KOFTJALK.

III 25

Finally, the “Koftjalk” must be mentioned again; it being a boat which is intermediate between the “Kof” and the “Hoy”. This kind of boat is originally from Groningen and resembles strongly the “Buitenmotten” of East Friesland. The “Koftjalk” is the precursor of the “Koffs” which later on replaced the “Cats and the Flutes”.

III 22

The “Koffs” therefore are not a spontaneous production, but were developed gradually as trade and industry extended or as navigable highways reached further and became improved. Thus the dimensions of the “Koffs” increased at the beginning of the XIXth century as the result of the creation of the Damsterdiep in 1791.

If Hogendorp (Bijdrage tot de huishouding van den Staat, Vol. I, p. 183), still speaks, at the end of the XVIIIth century, of “Koffs” of 70 to 100 lasts, on the other hand, LE COMTE (p. 16) mentions, at the beginning of the XIXth, “Koffs” of 100 to 150 “lasts”.

The name of “Koftjalk” shows, on the other hand, that there is only a slight difference existing between the “Koff” and the “Hoy”.

THE KRAAK.

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The “Kraak” is a strongly built boat, with no sheer, with full and rounded bow and stern, belonging to the smack group. This vessel, of the size of a small “hoy”, belongs to the region limited by the broken line Amsterdam, Naarden, Nigtevecht, Haarlem, Zaandam and Amsterdam, this last city being considered as its place of origin. This very old type of boat is already to be seen in the engravings of the beginning of the XVIIth century, but there they are called “Lichter”.

It is for this reason that WITSEN speaks of the “Amsterdamsche binnenlichters”, as being “een plomb gebouwd zonder zeil of mast overdekt met hooge ronde luiken” (a heavily built boat, without masts or sails, covered by high round hatches).

They were generally poled and had no masts; and carried a small deckhouse aft.

An engraving of a “lichter” of the XVIIth century, also bears this distich:

II 177

(The name of this boat comes to it because it is able to raise many another).

Later, larger “Lichters” were built, known as “Lichter” of Nigtevecht, Brouwershaven, Wieringen, etc.

All have the same massive form raised a little forward and aft. A few carry a “statie”. The waist of the boat is always straight. The larger size involved the necessity of a rig, and the “Lichters” so rigged were called “Kraken”, a name which has nothing in common with that of the Spanish caracks.

III 48

An engraving which shows a ferry-boat running between Amsterdam and Haarlem, gives an idea of the precursor of the “Kraak”. There must also be counted among the “Kraken”, the “IJker”, with a smooth hull, of which the more recent name undoubtedly designates the same kind of vessel. It is well again to remark that the old “Turfijker” has nothing to do with this “IJker”, with a smooth hull, which it resembles only in name.

At Haarlem, the “Kraak” is called “Haarlemmerpont”. This vessel is a little less bluff and the stern is less full.

The Netherlands, cut up by innumerable rivers and streams in every direction, have been, from the most distant times, the country “par excellence” of ferries and other vessels for carrying man and beast to and fro.

THE “OVERHAALPONTJE” SKIFF.

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The simplest form of these ferries is shown by the rectangular scow made to run back and forth by hauling on one or two ropes. Boats of this kind are very well known by the name of “Overhaalpontjes” (skiffs), of which large numbers exist still in Holland, especially in the neighborhoods of The Hague, Amsterdam and Utrecht.

THE PONTON.

The “Ponton” is another kind of ferry boat.

The larger sized craft are raised forward and aft to facilitate the passage. The bow and stern, which are broad and flat, carry a movable part called the “Koebrug” (cow bridge) to facilitate taking horses, cattle and carts on board. These movable outside bridges are lowered and raised by two balanced levers, one on each side. By bearing down on them, the fore bridge is raised a little above the horizontal. The lever is then made fast. After crossing the river, the bridge is dropped and rests on the approach. The slope of the bridge must not be too great, nor should the movable part be too long, otherwise it would be unmanageable.

It follows from what precedes, that there exists, for a good approach, a certain relation between the slope of the ramp, the length of the movable bridge and the draught of the ferry-boat.

As a general rule and for ordinary pontoons, the most favorable slope for the ramp is 1 in 8.

An easier slope makes too sharp an inclination for the movable bridge; a steeper slope, which would make the bridge more nearly horizontal, would make, on the other hand, too difficult an approach for wheeled vehicles.

THE “HALVE PONT” OR “PIJPER”.

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In order to send the pontoon across, oars or a sprit sail can be used. The boat is then steered with an oar. Instead of using a pontoon with a movable bridge at each end, a “Halve Pont” (half pontoon) is the more generally in service. This is a boat with the bow of an ake and the stern of a pontoon. Sometimes this half pontoon is called a “Pijper”. Vehicles come an board the ferry over the stern and must leave in the same way. The vehicles must go ashore backward as they cannot turn end for end on the boat itself.

If the current of the river be strong enough, it is utilized to carry the ferry back und forth by means of a cable. It is needless to say that large pontoons with a movable part at each end are used for the purpose.

THE “GIERPONT”.

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The “Gierpont” (flying bridge) allows a stream to be crossed as follows:

The operating cable is attached at one end to an anchor put down upstream near the middle of the river and at the other end to the middle of the upstream side of the boat. The two ends of the pontoon are then fastened by special lines to the swinging cable. The pontoon can, in this way, be made to lie at an angle to the current. The component of the current normal to the side of the boat causes it to cross in describing an arc of a circle around the anchor as a centre and with the length of the cable as a radius. The speed is regulated by changing the angle which the axis of the pontoon makes with the direction of the current.

In order to assist the action of the current on the pontoon, two or four lee-boards are fastened to the upstream side, that is: the side next to the cable, one or two of them serving to cross the stream to the right bank, the other one or two, to the left bank.

In order to diminish the resistance of the cable in the water, it is supported by a few small boats called “onderlegaakjes”.

A “Gierpont” of this kind works, among others on the Meuse, at the Gravenbicht-Rothem (Limbourg) and Grave crossings.

THE KABELVEERPONT.

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The “Kabelveerpont” is another kind of boat for crossing streams. The swinging cable is here replaced by one which crosses the stream, on the bottom of which it lies under the action of its own weight. The middle of the upstream side of the boat is attached to this cable, which passes over a sheave. In order to cross the stream, the boat is pushed off into the current, after having raised the movable bridges, then the cable is drawn up on the end of the boat pointing across the river and made to pass over a sheave placed, temporarily and for the crossing, at the middle of the bridge. The pontoon then occupies a position oblique to the cable and, as in the preceding case, at an angle to the direction of the current which causes the boat to move. The cable, which runs from one bank to the other, rests on the bed of the river from which only the part on the boat is raised.

The pontoons serving the crossings at Kessenich-Stevensweert and at Elsloo-Boorsheim (Limburg-an-Meuse) may be mentioned as examples of this kind of ferries.

The cable is not always raised, however, on the boat because when so raised it may interfere with navigation. Sometimes the cable is allowed to remain on the bed of the river and the ferry is attached to a rope which is connected with the cable by means of a roller. This rope, which is then stretched in the direction of the current, is fastened to the middle of the upstream side of the boat. If now the latter be inclined by means of a special cable, as explained in the case of the “Gierpont”, it crosses the river, the roller running on the cable which lies on the bottom.

An example of such a boat is to be found at the crossing at Zalt-Bommel in Gelderland. The trouble with these cables and of all transverse cables in general is that they are often displaced by the anchors of vessels which foul them in passing. Abroad, especially in Belgium, the cables for trail bridges (as they are called in the United States) are stretched above the river so that vessels can pass underneath. But this arrangement does not seem to be applicable to heavy boats and to the great widths of the crossings found in Holland without using expensive means for supporting the cable.

In Limburg, where the character of the Meuse is torrential, and where the steep slope of the bed causes much more violent currents than in the rest of our country, the barges have no lee boards.

A very wide approach ramp is necessary for all these ferries in general and for the “Kabelveerponten” in particular. A width of 16 metres at the level of mean low water and lessening upward has been found necessary, because of the slack of the cable which varies with the strength of the current and the force of the wind.

The more violent the current, the easier it is to go safely on the boat, and this allows the width of the approach ramp to be reduced near the top, because this upper part is only utilized during high water.

II 174 II 175 II 178 II 181

It is needless to say that not only pontoons, but also every kind of boats, such as the “hoys” and “poonen” already mentioned, can be also utilized for crossing.

III 60 III 65 III 67

Use is also frequently made of the “Hengsten” (anglice: stallions, used here to designate strength) and of the “Veerhengsten” which belong to the type of the “Hoogaarsen”, which they resemble greatly.

The “Hoorgaarsen” are described among the fishing boats.

For ferrying pedestrians, rowboats and “vletten” are very frequently used.

One remark may still be added to what precedes:

Two cables are needed for tidal rivers, one above and one below, so as to be able to work during both the ebb and flood tides. The manœuvres then become difficult at times, because when the tide is at a stand there is no current or it is so weak that the crossing is not always possible. In these cases the cables are used merely as guides for the boats. The latter are run across by hand or by a motor which works a special cable for crossing. A system of this sort is located on the Bergsche Meuse, below Heusden.

If the current becomes too strong at high water, so that there is danger of breaking the cables, the pontoon way be attached to a swinging cable which would then take up the greater part of the tension. This cable should be very long: 1º so that the pull on the anchor way be as nearly horizontal as possible and 2º so that the arc described by the ferry boat may be as flat as possible.

The small inland boats are not less important than those just considered. Their size has gone on increasing as the navigable highways are improved and the clinker-built hulls give way to the carvel built. They differ, in the matter of form, from the types mentioned above, by their relatively small beam as compared with their length, as much as by their very much inclined bow and stern. If, as a general rule, the ratio between length and breadth which lay generally between 3.5 and 4.6 now reaches often 5 for the inland boats. Evidently, they are all flat-bottomed and, of late years, they have been built with a more rounded bilge.

THE BOK.

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The Bok is one of the largest vessels of this group. It is met with in Friesland, in the North-West of the province of Utrecht, below Ankeveen and ’s Graveland, and in the North-East of South Holland to the North of the Old Rhine. It is a long, narrow boat, 16 metres long, only 3.35 m. beam and 1.75 m. depth. It narrows sharply toward the bottom and has a very strong sternpost and stem. The sternpost is straight and leaning; the stern also slopes and is slightly curved. The bow of the boat is square which gives it a characteristic appearance.

THE SNIK.

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Along with the “Bok” there is found in Friesland, the Snik, which is a “Bok” of less square build with a more sloping sternpost and stem.

In the province of Holland, the same difference from the “Bok” is noted in the “Harlemmermeerlompertje” which is smaller than the “Frisian Snik”.

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Neither the name of “Snik” nor that of “Bok” is known in Groningen, but there is in this region a boat of the same kind, with its bow and stern a little fuller than those of the “Bok ”. It is the Groningen aardappelpraam (Groningen potato pram) already met with. Like the three preceding boats, its bends have a slight sheer. Its full bow and stern differentiate it from the “Overijsselsche pramen”.

If we leave the Haarlem lake, passing by Leiden, that is to say: if we cross the country of the downs going toward the West, we meet everywhere a type of boat which, while smaller, is still shaped like the “bokken”. This type as the “Westlander” (boat of the West) is its representative.

THE “WESTLANDER”.

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This boat has a sharply raking and slightly curved stem. It rises but little above the water so as to be able to pass under the bridges. It can use sails but, most of the time, it is moved ahead by means of a boathook. The boat is decked over with flat and horizontal hatch covers. Considering the relatively low position of the tiller, these boats, like the preceding, have a “stuurbak” (a cockpit in the deck where the helmsman stands). The top plank is strengthened so as to act as a bend. If this element be lacking, which is frequently the case with the small boats of this class, they are also called “Bok”, but this must not be confounded with the big Frisian “Bok” mentioned above. “Westlanders” are often used for levelling off the downs; they are well known at the Hague.

THE KAAG.

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In the XVIIth century, there was met with, to the North of Leyden, along the Haarlem lake and in that part of North Holland lying North of the line Aalsmeer-Muiden, a boat then currently called “Kaag” (Kage or Kaghe), of which WITSEN gives a good reproduction in his work (p. 174). This boat differed from the preceding types by the greater elevation of the bow and by the drawing together of the upper planking, which make it resemble the fishing boat, called the “Hoogaars”. Like this last, it had a broad bow, but the stern, on the other hand, is more narrowed. The stem was straight but with a marked rake. The mast is at one-third the length from the bow; it is rigged with a sprit sail. This boat no longer exists now, but, on the other hand, a boat with a smooth hull is met with which resembles it and is now called the “Snik” or “Gondel”. It is, however, less angular and has a square stern, which, as every where else, appeared later. It is probable that it is the old “Kaag” which is again found in this class of boats and which is often used to-day. The ratio of length to beam is the same for both vessels.

On the tidal rivers of Holland, there is found, as a small boat, the Kinderdijksche Hoogaars which resembles the old kaag perfectly. Then, there is met with among the islands of South Holland, a boat with a smooth hull, the “Beyerlandsche Schuitje” which is an “ake” if its bottom which rises right up to the extreme point of the bow be considered; it is probably not a very old type. Its affiliation with the preceding boats can still be easily observed. This boat is 9 m. long, 2.75 m. beam and 1.30 m. deep. The mast is from a quarter to a third of the length from the bow.

The “Beyerlandsche Schuit” corresponds fully to the fishing boat called the “Tholensche Schouw”.

THE UTRECHT PRAM.

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There is met with in the province of Utrecht another kind of boat which, while resembling the “Westlander” somewhat differs from it by its finer lines and more slender construction. The sternpost, like the stem, is straight and rakes a great deal, which makes these boats very pointed. They are Utrechtsche Pramen (Utrecht Pram) and when they are entirely open they are called Kromme Rijnaak although they do not show the characteristic flat bottom rising toward the bow. They correspond to the “Vlotschuit” mentioned by WITSEN (p. 171, No. 3) even though this latter boat is broader in proportion to its length.

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The “Utrecht pram” sails along the “Kromme Rijn” and in the country still further North, along the Vecht. It greatly resembles a “punter” of the North of Overijssel (near Vollenhove, etc.) but it is longer and narrower. This class of boat is also met with in North Holland: the Groenteschuitje van Hoorn, called by WITSEN (p. 171-3) Weyschuitje is an example.

THE “SCHOUW”.

The Schouw is a flat, open tub met everywhere. It is a very simple and very primitive boat which is seen already in the oldest engravings both in the countries along the Mediterranean and in the countries of the North of Europe.

The “Schouwen” are very much used in our country of canals and rivers. These more or less large tubs have gradually developed into the form of boats. Nearly all are pulled or pushed with a pole. The largest are the “Melkschouwen” of which large numbers can be seen every day at Rotterdam.

The hull of the “Schouwen” narrows a little forward and aft, while the bottom rises there regularly.

These boats are entirely open as a rule. When they have a hold covered with hatch covers and when they are a little higher and carry a cuddy forward and aft they are called Schiedamsche Schouwen, better known still by the name of Spoelingschuiten (small boats for carrying the refuse of fruit).

THE “TREKSCHUIT”.

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It is hard for the present generation to imagine that, 60 years ago, the “Trekschuit” was still the only means of locomotion of the period. Who would now think of going in a “Trekschuit” from the Hague to Schevening or back where so many electric trams cross each other everywhere? And yet, the “Trekschuiten” have played an important part in our “country of water” and there are still some regions where these boats are in use. The “Trekschuiten”, properly so called, could be divided into two classes, those with a sloping but straight stem and those with a curved stem.

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The first, which are almost entirely like the Westlanders, while being of a little more massive construction, are found particularly in North and South Holland and to the West of Utrecht. The old engravings show that these boats have changed little in the course of the centuries; the water tight cabin being the only serious modification which they have undergone.

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They are still frequently met with as “Pakschuiten”, of which the vivid colors (green, white, red) immediately attract the eyes.

The second class of these boats, which have curved stems, are of more elegant shape. They are known by the name of “Barges” or “Trekjachten”, and are found especially in the North of our country, in North Holland, Groningen, Friesland. Their bows and sterns are quite full (like the “hoys”) and make one think rather of the old yachts, fined down a little, from which they are certainly descended.

THE “YACHT”.

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The old “Yacht” was one of the most beautiful boats in use. At first a small reproduction of the pinnace, it was afterwards built of larger dimensions while offering, by reason of its lack of depth, (“Vlotgaanswille”, as it used to be said), pretty full forms. The decoration of the cabin and of the stern was particularly carefully wrought out. The “Yachts” carried sprit sails and had no lee boards. It is to be regretted that sundry pictures showing yachts should not have been preserved; in the second half of the XIXth century some of them were destroyed as firewood. A few superb photographs of “Yachts”, taken from drawings in the collection of Mr. van Gijn, of Dordrecht, accompany the collection and it will be seen how suggestive they are.

THE “BAGGERAAK”.

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The “Baggeraak” (dredging ake) forms a special group. As has been said already, they can be classified in three groups. To the first group, belongs the “Vlet” (flat) or “Baggeraak” which is met with in Southern Holland, the West of the Betuwe, the West of Northern Brabant (the Biesbosch and Donge) and also in Zeeland, in a word, on all our tidal rivers. The “Flette” or “Baggeraak” (called also “Sliedrechtsche aak”) was a small stout boat which, save for a small cuddy in the bow, was wholly open. Its rig was the “Spritsail”, it was provided with lee boards and movable wash boards so as to facilitate the casting of hand dredges. These wash boards were placed only when the boat was partially loaded, that is when it was appreciably down in the water. The mast was set at one-fifth to one-fourth of the length of the vessel from the bow. The ratio of beam to length was as 1:4. The planking was continuous to the nose against which a false stem was fitted.

In Zeeland, a great many “Hoogaarsen” are used for dredging, and “Boeieraakjes” are employed in Brabant and Holland, as at the Biesbosch and on the Amer and the Donge. They are also used a great deal on the Meuse, although there, as on other upper rivers, the “Bovenlandsche Baggeraakjes” were formerly employed.

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There belong to the Bovenlandsche baggeraakjes those vessels of the Meuse which stand midway between the “Keen” and the “Whalemajol”. They have a little sprit sail rig and a “Klaphekken” (a special kind of rudder). The largest, known especially by the name of “Hedelsche Aken” and which carry lee-boards, are used for all sorts of purposes. These boats belong neither to the true Meuse type nor to the Rhenish type above Bonn (The Keen, etc.). They form an isolated group, descended probably from the two types in question.

III 73 III 72

The Vreeswijksche zandschuit (sand boat of Vreeswijck) alone remains of the Rhine boats. It has the bow of a “Dorstensche Aak” and the stern resembles that of the “Dortsche Zandschuit” (sand boat of Dordrecht). This “Dortsche Zandschuit” is alike at bow and stern and the hull is smooth. Although it is more pointed, this boat resembles the “Westerling” a little, the latter being known as a very old boat of the lepper Scheldt (see DEHEM, p. 505). The old “Dortsche Zandschuit” was especially used for dredging ballast intended for sea-going vessels.

A large number of “Bokken”, already mentioned among the “Westlanders”, are used for levelling down the dunes in the West and in the Rhine country.

III 87

The “Slijkpraam”, which resembles the “Kromme Rijnaak” already mentioned, is used in the province of Utrecht, while finally, the “Vlotpraam” or “Slijkpraam” is still met with in Groningen.

II 246

From a certain standpoint, the “Hoogeveensche Pramen”, mentioned above, which are used in the peat bottoms, should be classified in this group.

THE “BAGGER- OR MODDERMOLEN” (The Dredge).

II 274 II 277

The “Moddermolen” (mud mill) or “Moddermolenschip” was already found in the first half of the XVIIth century, as the forerunner of the “Baggermolen” (bucket or ladder dredge). This dredge was worked by hand at first; later on horses were used for this purpose. (LE COMTE, p. 6, and WITSEN.) A horsepower and a stable were built on the deck. In the XVIIIth century, says LE COMTE, the old “Moddermolen” was already so perfected that it was imagined that there was nothing more to improve.

Navigation, however, kept calling for greater and greater depths, so that the Kater Brothers, dredge builders at Monnikendam, were led to build, in 1829, a boat which dredged down to a depth of 7 metres. From three to six horses were used, according to the depth and compactness of the materials to be dredged.

These same builders, says LE COMTE at another place, were the inventors of the “Klepschouwen”, for which they asked the concession on May 1, 1830. LE COMTE gives an engraving of these dredges in plate 12 of his work.

J. C. KERKMEIJER relates, in an article of the Eigenhaard Review (1906), entitled “De Diep-of Baggermolen, een merkwaardige ontdekking”, that he had found the model of the dredge built by its inventor in 1632, a model which is mentioned by C. A. ABBING, in his continuation of the Chronicle of Hoorn, by VELUIS (1841, p. 12), wherein it is stated:

“About this time (1632) Jan Jantz Nieng, a native-born citizen of this town (HOORN), invented the ‘diepmolens’. The first model, made by him, was 2 feet 6½ inches long, 9 inches broad and 6½ inches high; the measurements being taken over all.” This model was still to be seen at the city shops at Hoorn a few years ago. The model found by Mr. Kerkmeijer was carefully repaired by him and it is preserved at the city hall of the town.

Thanks to the kind assistance of this author, a few details can still be given in regard to the “Moddermolen” of Middelbourg, called “Dieplust”. These details were received from the chief of the Kool ship yard of this town.

The “Dieplust” extracted the mud by means of a trough with low straight sides, lined at its lower end with iron. When the boat was moved, by means of a cable attached to an anchor, the lower end of the trough entered into the mud as far as it could. The ladder of the dredge was suspended inside of the trough and to its endless chain were fastened pieces of plank of about the same width as that of the trough. These pieces of plank tumbling around a hexagonal or octagonal drum at the lower end worked down into the mud of which they brought up a certain quantity and discharged it through a hole at the top of the trough.

There was no question yet of buckets to bring up the dredged materials, these having only made their appearance with steam dredges.

The trough, with the ladder, could be lowered or raised by means of a windlass; it passed through an opening which was not in the axis of the boat. In the larger half of the vessel was placed the shaft which, by means of gearings, transmitted to the ladder the movement produced by the horses. These gearings were similar to those of the old wind mills. A horse power and a stable were constructed on the deck of the boat.

The Ghent paper Het Volksbelang published the Eigenhaard article in its issue of June 9, 1906. Some doubts are emitted, however, about 1632 being the authentic year of the invention, because the following annotation is found in the Resolutie boek van de Staten van Vlaanderen of 1628-1630, F^o 16 (Archives of the State, at Ghent.—N^o 553):

“Actum den XXII May 1628 wierd den Ingeniaris Adam Clippens, ghemaackt hebbende den slijckmeulen, gelicentieert en de gheordonneert hem te geven ordonnantie van betalijnghe den dach van merghen mitghaders hondert guldenen voor eene vereeringhe zoo ghedaen is geweest”[25].

From which it would appear that a mechanical dredge must have been built in Flanders in 1628. Hence the year given by Abbing cannot be correct, or else the same machine might have been invented at two different places at about the same period. The question is not yet settled, but, be that as it may, it must be granted that the first mechanical dredge was at work in the XVIIth century.

THE “TJOTTER”.

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Pleasure boats or Yachts have been described so often and so many different types have been used as such that they could be passed by in silence. Let it suffice to mention the Tjotter, which is spread throughout Friesland, and the Friesch Bootje. The “Tjotter” is a full, short and broad craft of elegant lines and steady on the water. It has a great deal of sheer, is fore-and-aft rigged (bazaantuig) and is generally very well finished.

THE “LAADBAK” AND THE “ZOLDERSCHUIT”.

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The Laadbak and the Zolderschuit are so well known that nothing more will be done than to refer to the drawings given of these two vessels.

THE “ONDERLEGGER”.

It is worth while to point out still another very serviceable boat which has always been much in use. It is the Onderlegger of which an engraving is given by WITSEN (p. 175) and which was used for heaving vessels down for repairs, for pulling piles out of the ground, for hoisting in masts, etc. It was 60 feet long, 16 feet broad, and 6½ feet deep and carried two capstans.

THE “BOVENLANDERS”.

The craft frequenting our upper rivers are called Bovenlanders. They are totally different from the types met with so far. They are all relatively long and narrow, flat-bottomed and draw but little water. It may be said, as a general rule, that the “Bovenlanders” appear where the tidal rivers end. They have been in existence since the most distant times although they are rarely ever seen in the engravings. If they were not often mentioned, it was doubtless because they were not considered as being worth a description, or, perhaps again, because they were not sufficiently known. WITSEN mentions only the following vessels (p. 170-171) of which he says textually:

“A) The Overlanders, which come to us from the Upper Rhine, are vessels with high sides, heavy and rather unfinished. Whole families live on them.

II 213 II 214

“B) The Samoreuzen are very long flat boats which bring wood down the Rhine. They carry a very high mast, made in two parts, and fastened by lines to the ends and sides of the boat.

“C) The Aeken, which bring wine from Cologne, are long, high and very full. Their rudder is very wide.

“D) The Dortsche Koolhaelders are very long, open boats, flat-bottomed, so as to be better able to cross the shoals of the river. They have near the middle a square deck house which serves as a dwelling for the boatmen. They are square at the corners and the rudder is long and broad. The sail is square and is hoisted on a short mast, near the deck house, by means of a curved yard.”

VAN YK speaks of “Geldersche Samoreusen” (p. 348) and LE COMTE, of a “Samoreus” or “Keulenaer” (p. 44) which are to be seen on the Groenewegen engraving. (Series F, No 3.)

The “Overlanders” mean the “Bovenlanders”, and the “Samoreuzen” mean the boats coming from above Cologne, while the “Aeken” are probably big “Keenaken”. Finally, the “Dortsche Koolhaelders” are undoubtedly the “Dorstensche Aken”. Neither engravings nor description give any exact idea. But the types of these craft have been very well preserved on the Rhine until the introduction of iron; the clinker built hulls have even remained intact, and this enables us to appreciate even now what these boats of by-gone days were and whence they came.

THE RHINE.

As was seen in the general classification, the Rhenisch boats may be divided into two groups:

a) Those navigating the Rhine below Bonn;

b) Those navigating the Rhine, above Bonn, and its tributaries, with the exception of the Neckar, where is found a boat belonging to group a.

Group a includes:

1.—The Dorstensche Aak, so called from the town of Dorsten where these boats were frequently built. It is a long and narrow “ake” of which the bottom was continued all the way to the tip of the bow; the length was 6 to 7 times the beam and the hull was clinker built. The bow was full, the stern slender at the water line. The after deck included a poop deck, with a much curved tiller resting on a solid “luierwagen” (prop). The rudder was large and heavy. These boats had two masts. The cabin on the small boats was by the after mast; on the larger, there was a free space between the cabin and the mast. A dwelling was placed aft of the main mast and in the bow was a cabin for the servant. The hold was decked over with plane inclined hatch covers, which, formerly, were round. The “Dorstensche Aak” with round hatch covers was a “Samoreus”. Alongside of these latter there used to be akes with open holds called “Dorstsche Koolhaelders”. Although these boats were no fuller than the other akes they appeared, like all clinker built boats, more massive. They generally carried square sails on the main mast and fore-and-aft sails on the smaller. As a general rule, these boats reached us unfinished and it was only when the cargo (pots and other household utensils) was sold, that they were finished in our country.

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2.—The Neckaraak (ake from the Neckar) was a small “Dorstenche Aak” of which the length was about 6½ times the breadth. These vessels were long and narrow and worked well. They had a characteristic cabin which, compared with the height of the boat, rose a great deal above the deck. They had, in addition to a main mast, a small one near the rudder. They carried no lee boards, but their rudder was like that of “Dorstensche Aak”.

THE “STEVENSCHIP”.

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The Stevenschip resembled the “Dorstensche Aak”. Like this latter, it was clinker built, carried the same rig and was built in the same way. It differed from it only in this that the planking did not end at the nose, but, on the contrary, was rabbetted into a strong and somewhat curved stem.

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The preceding types were met with also in our country both clinker and carvel built. They were then called Hollandsche Aaken (Dutch akes) and Stevenschepen, whereas alongside of the latter there were found formerly a large number of smaller akes along the Rhine, the Waal and the Lek as far as the point where the tidal regimen begins, and along the Yssel and its tributaries. These “akes” were exact copies of the large akes but at the same time they had more elegant lines by reason of their less length. Those which are seen in our album are made from some old specimens which date, probably, from the XVIIIth century. The bow of the “Hollandsche aak” is rather flatter than that of the “Dorstensche aak”.

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The “Bovenlanders” took on also rather fuller forms, as can be seen by comparing the drawing of a “Dorstensche aak” with that of a “Samoreus”. A few small Dutch akes carry a discontinuous false stem, whence their name of “Hollandsche Schechtaak”.

A few of the “Aakjes” (small akes) are met with also along the Merwede and the Yssel.

THE “TURFIJKER” AND THE “HAGENAAR”.

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In the region to the East of the line from Leiden to Delft, North of Rotterdam, South of the Old Rhine and West of Utrecht, there used to exist a very curious type of clinker-built boat of small dimensions, constructed in the German way, called the Turfijker, which has disappeared but of which the characteristics are found in the “Hagenaar”.

III 99

The “Hagenaar” is a flat boat without sheer, which rises very little above water on account of the small clear height of the bridges at The Hague, whence its name of “Hagenaar” (Boat of the Hague). Here then is found in the very heart of the province of Holland, a type of “Bovenlander”.

It is curious to note that the same large Dutch “aaken” (Dorsten type) are still to be met with in the North-West of North Brabant (Langstraat) where they are still built while this kind of construction has been abandoned on the Meuse and the Lower Waal.

The second group of boats under consideration and which circulate above Bonn is easily distinguished from the first by the long rudder, attached to the main-piece which traverses the stern. From the end of the rudder, called “klaphekken”, starts above the main piece, a strong piece of timber solidly fastened to the tiller.

This rudder is called the Klaphekken. All the boats belonging to this group carry this characteristic rudder; they are, moreover, flatter than those of the first group. They are clinker built although many are now met with which are carvel built.

THE “KEEN”.

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The Keen may be considered as the fundamental type of this second group. It was rigged formerly like the “Dorstensche Aak” but it now carries, like all the boats, a fore and aft sail. The bottom rises both forward and aft to the level of the nose. Hence the “Keen” is an “ake”. The planking is assembled on the bottom very nearly along a right line. The stern carries, as a rule, a poop deck.

THE “KEENAAK”.

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The Keenaak is broader as compared with its length and it is generally a little larger, it stands higher out of water, its ends are fuller and the side planking ends in a point at the nose.

THE “LAHNAAK” AND THE “SLOF”.

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The “Keen” when entirely open is called a Lahnaak (ake of the Lahn); its size has been increased of late years. When vessels of this kind have nearly vertical sides, blunt bow and stern, and smooth planking they are known as a Slof.

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One of the characteristics of the “Sloffen” is that they always carry at the bow a narrow cabin which rises a little above the deck of the boat. The “Sloffen” have been closed in of late years with hatch covers, and then they are called simply “Akes”. The boatmen even call the “Slof” sometimes the “Mulmsche Aak”. (Mülheim ake).

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A very strongly built boat, which dates only from the second half of the XIXth century, must also be mentioned as belonging to the first group: the Bunder. This boat is shaped like a “Dorstensche Aak”, but it is carvel built and is covered in with hatch covers.

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Finally, these must still be mentioned among the boats of our country the “’s Gravenmoersche Aak” which made its appearance at ’s Gravenmoer in the XIXth century and which came from the Upper Rhine to be used at the Biesbosch. Boats of this category were provided originally with “Klaphekken”, a special rudder which later has been sometimes done away with, either because it was too long or because it was not sufficiently strong, and which has been replaced by an ordinary rudder. They resemble the “Lahnaak” and are used especially for carrying hay. The coming of iron and steel will cause these boats, like so many others to disappear.

In order to avoid confusion, it is necessary to dwell upon the fact that some Dutch Akes have been provided later with false stems, which gives them the appearance of “Stevenschepen” but which, does not make them so.

THE MEUSE.

The long, narrow, light draught boats which frequent the Upper Meuse and its tributaries have an entirely different appearance from those which have just been considered. In the first place, their rudder differs entirely from that of the preceding types. It is true that the long rudder attached to the stock has been kept, but the piece of bent wood has given place to a curved balance beam in two parts of which the after ends are fastened to the after upper corner of the rudder, one on each side. The two parts of the balance beam are made fast near their middle and by means of a chain to the head of the stock of the rudder. The forward end of the balance beam is connected with the end of the tiller by a rope drawn up taut so as to make the whole very solid. The balance beam is composed of two twin pieces. The rudder stock comes up through the stern, but the latter, instead of rising gently and regularly aft, bends sharply inboard.

THE WHALEMAJOL.

Originally, the bow of the Meuse boats had another form; of late years, these craft have been made fuller, and their bow has been bent back to reduce the length of the boat and increase its capacity. The oldest type of this category is the Whalemajol (or Mijole). Its bow and stern are pointed and its main frame is a trapezoid on which the three upper tiers of planking are clinker laid and the hull below is carvel built.

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The Herna is of the same size as the preceding, is wider at bow and stern, and ends with a horizontal timber. Its main frame, formerly trapezoidal, as in the preceding case, is now rectangular like that of the Rhenish “Sloffen”.

The Spitsbek is a small “Herna” (old form) entirely covered over. It is made of all sizes and is called “Spitsbek” (pointed beak) on account of its slender shape.

The “Klaphekken” seems now to be preferred to the old rudder of the “Whalemajols” and it is gradually being adopted. A “Whalemajol with a klaphekken” is called a “Whalepont” or a “Maaspont”.

Boats of this kind are also found in the southern part of the Limbourg Meuse. Further down stream they are, however, the “Hedelsche Aken”, which come between the “Keen” and the “Majols”, which latter are the more numerous. These craft carry a “Klaphekken” and sometimes they also carry now an ordinary rudder.

FISHING BOATS

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Man has been given to fishing from the most remote times, even though in primitive ways. Hence fishing boats will also be seen to have existed from the earliest times; furthermore, as man thinks of his own maintenance first before dreaming of trade, fishing boats are older than merchant ships and it is perfectly natural to conclude that the latter issue from the former. So, the “Koggenschip” (cog) is nothing but a transformation of what will be called later an “Egmonder Pink” or better, a “Pink” of large size.

As fish were taken at the beginning only for local needs, the fishing boats were small. Distant expeditions were not undertaken, the preservation of fish being unknown in those days. Some old writers even maintain that the herring fishery only appeared at Zierikzee in the XIIth century (in 1163 according to WITSEN, p. 431). Hence it may be said that the beginnings of our ocean fisheries date only from the century mentioned. No great revolution took place until 1384, when Willem Beukelsz of Biervliet invented the salting and barrelling of herrings. This invention caused such a stir that, a hundred years after the death of Willem Beukelszoon, the Emperor Charles V still visited his tomb at Biervliet (1556).

Distant voyages became possible from this moment because the herring could be preserved. The first great herring net was made at Hoorn in 1416, and smooth planking for the boats made its appearance at Zierikzee, the centre of the herring fishery. A relation certainly exists between these two events. The packing of herring gave fishing such a start that a new commerce was the result which, in its turn, brought forth more and more numerous demands requiring a perpected plant.

THE “EGMONDER PINK”.

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The old clinker built “Egmonder Pink”, formerly the largest fishing boat (35 feet long, 12 feet wide and 3 feet deep) became too small, just as soon as herring nets, constantly increasing in size and weight, began to come into use.

THE BUIS (Bush).

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A new boat became necessary. It was built larger and with a smooth hull, thus giving the “Buis” (bush), 52 feet long, 13 feet wide and 8 feet deep. This boat had a much greater tonnage than did the “Pink”. (WITSEN, p. 167.)

II 195 II 196 II 198

At the end of the XVth century, there were already at Enkhuizen 400 to 500 “Haringbuizen”, and there were also 40 of the so called Grootschippers (large fishing boats), which could carry from 20 to 120 lasts. (KOENEN, p. 78.) In 1590, 350 “bushes” started for the herring fishery, and, at the beginning of the XVIIth century, 1609, 3000 Dutch bushes were fishing in the North Sea, whereas in 1601 their number did not exceed 1500. (Groen van Prinsterer Handboek, § 100, KOENEN, p. 156.) These 3000 boats, said KOENEN, have a total of 50,000 men in their crews, and this fleet requires in its turn 9000 larger boats and 150,000 men on land and at sea to pack and transport the fish. It is estimated that 20 “Haringbuizen” give employment to 8000 persons.

A fleet of 1500 bushes passed three times through the Texel passes at the beginning of the XVIIth century. Hence it is not astonishing that the departure of this fleet should produce a great impression. Even in our day, the well known “Buisjesdag” (day of the bushes) is still spoken of.

When, at the time of the second war with England, the herring fishery was stopped on the North Sea and the fishermen continued their work on the “Zuyderzee”, some of them still succeeded in taking, in a month, 800 last (1600 tonnes) of herrings valued at 15,620 florins. A large number of decrees appear in reference to fishing (1611, 1612, 1620 and 1629).

For example:

“Niemand vermag zijn roer onklaer houden zoodat daer netten aen zoude kunnen hechten.” (No one may so hold his rudder as to foul any nets.)

“Die niet en vischt vermag niet onder de visschers te drijven.” (He who is not fishing may not sail among the fishers.) While it is laid down, at the same time, that every one should place his name on his nets so that they can be recognized.

The size of the crew and the armament were also the object of regulation, which was all the more necessary in those times of war.

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A “Noortsvaerder” of 70 to 80 lasts, and a “bush” of more than 24 lasts, ought to carry at least two “gotelingen” (small cannon). These guns are still to be seen in many old engravings. Nor was bravery lacking among the fishermen. M. DE JONGE (Vol. I, p. 182) gives an example of this in relating the meeting of an English craft with fishermen from Vlieland between the Skagerrack and the Doggersbank:

Scarcely had they come near each other when the English began throwing stones, for lack of other weapons. The Dutch answered by throwing fire wood, but this innocent fighting became a bore to the Hollanders. “They grappled the enemy’s boat, jumped on board of it, carry their knives in their mouths and, headed by their valiant steersman, Jonge Kees, drove the English down into the hold, which they nailed up, and returned triumphantly with their little boat to Amsterdam where a gold medal was offered to the brave leader and where the crew received the captured boat and other rewards”.

Our fishing fleet went very much to pieces toward the end of the XVIIIth and the beginning of the XIXth centuries. Matters became still worse toward the middle of the latter. If in 1843 there were still 126 fishing boats in existence, this number fell to 93 in 1852. (KOENEN, p. 156.) But a revival took place toward the end of the XIXth century and in 1905 there were again 724 vessels in our fleet. The upward start began in 1891, as shown in the table given further on. The great improvement in means of communication increased the demand for fish as a popular article of food, (See the Inaugural Address of Professor E. Vosnack at Delft; Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant. October 11, 1906, first sheet, A.) while more careful packing in ice now allows fish to be carried to much more distant points.

This is why the cod and haddock fisheries have been taken up here with renewed ardor (A. HOOGENDIJK, de Grootvisscherij, 1895, p. 47) and the trade has become more lucrative by combining it with the herring fishery.

The herring fishery requires rather a small boat, as the latter should not pull too hard on the nets. Winter fishing requires, on the other hand, a strong fast boat, as it has to be on duty in all weathers.

Hence it follows that, in order to combine both, a new type of boat, able to satisfy these discordant conditions, has become a necessity and the old types in use are doomed, naturally, to disappear. The faster the boat, the greater the number of trips and the fresher the fish brought back.

Countries which are rich in fish can be visited with fast vessels and it is not to be wondered at that steamboats should be put into use in our country, just as in England, after the “loggers” (luggers), “Kotters” (cutters) and “sloepen” (sloops) which had preceded them. The first steam fishing craft appeared in 1897, and since then the number of these vessels has steadily increased.

The English fishing fleet has now not less than 1600 steamboats for deep sea fishing.

Composition of the Dutch fishing Fleet, exclusive of the Bommen, from 1867 to 1905.

YEARS HOWKERS SLOOPS STEAM BOATS MOTOR BOATS LOGGER CUTTERS AND LOGGER- BOMMEN TOTAL REMARKS

1867 85 — — 4 89 The first French lugger was put into service in 1867.

1868 80 — — 11 91

1869 79 — — 28 107

1870 69 — — 51 120

1871 45 13 — — 64 122

1872 30 14 — — 64 108

1873 23 11 — — 68 102

1874 20 11 — — 83 114

1875 14 11 — — 90 115

1876 6 11 — — 92 109

1877 8 11 — — 94 113

1878 7 11 — — 109 127

1879 4 10 — — 114 128

1880 3 9 — — 121 133

1881 2 9 — — 127 138

1882 2 8 — — 135 143

1883 2 8 — — 144 154

1884 2 8 — — 159 169

1885 2 8 — — 174 184

1886 1 8 — — 181 190

1887 — 7 — — 189 196

1888 — 8 — — 186 194

1889 — 8 — — 186 194

1890 — 7 — — 189 196

1891 — 7 — — 199 206

1892 — 9 — — 212 221

1893 — 11 — — 213 224

1894 — 13 — — 213 227

1895 — 17 — — 216 233

1896 — 24 — — 245 269

1897 — 30 1 — 252 283 The first steam­boat was put into service in 1897.

1898 — 36 1 — 258 295

1899 — 40 2 — 269 311

1900 — 46 3 — 275 324

1901 — 47 7 1 300 355

1902 — 52 25 1 327 405

1903 — 58 44 1 410 513

1904 — 58 44 1 432 535

1905 — 48 38 1 425 512

Summary of the different types of boats in use for the herring fishery from 1896 to 1905

YEARS LUGGERS CUTTERS SLOOPS STEAM BOATS MOTOR BOATS LOGGER- BOMMEN BOMMEN BOATS TOTAL REMARKS

1896 269 — — — 324 593 See report on maritime fisheries 1905 (p. 149)

1897 282 1 — — 325 608

1898 294 1 — — 320 615

1899 309 2 — — 303 614

1900 320 3 — 1 289 612

1901 346 7 1 1 279 634

1902 377 25 1 2 271 676

1903 463 44 1 5 268 781

1904 484 44 1 6 239 774

1905 467 38 1 6 212 724

Let the “Bush” be taken up again for a few moments before beginning on the description of the modern types of fishing boats.

The “Bush”, which appeared in the XVth century, remained the boat for the herring fishery until the middle of the XIXth century, when it disappeared entirely. If, in 1832, there were still 120 “Buizen” (78 at Vlaardingen, 18 at Maassluis, 1 at Delfshaven, 3 at Zwastewaal, 5 at Enkhuizen, 5 at De Rijp and 10 at Amsterdam, see LE COMTE, p. 46), they were, on the other hand, no longer mentioned in 1867, the year when the French lugger was brought into service. The bush was used exclusively in fishing for herring. When this latter failed, the vessels were stripped and laid up. Although their forms were full, they had a keel and sought safety in the different ports. These boats could not be grounded. Toward the last they were about 22 metres long, 6 metres wide and 3 metres deep. The dimensions of these boats had also increased gradually. (VAN YK gives, p. 310, 7 Rhine feet as their depth.)

The “Bushes” carried originally three masts, of which two could be lowered and each of which carried a large sail. Later, at the end of the XVIIth century, the rig was changed and made like that of the “Howkers”. This change is shown on the old engravings. The “Bushes” carried a “statie”.

THE “KWEE” AND THE “HOEKERBUIS”.

The dimensions of the “bushes” must have increased most at the end of the XVIIIth or beginning of the XIXth century; the “statie” was then suppressed and the fish tank appeared. The boats supplied with this tank were called Kwee according to HOOGENDIJK (p. 59). The “bush” proper which was used exclusively for the herring fishery, had no fish tank.

The “bush” which had a howker rig was also called a Hoekerbuis. What HOOGENDIJK tells about the origin of the howker, in his interesting book on the “Grootvisscherij”, does not seem to be wholly exact. According to him (p. 59) the “howker” is said to be descended from the “Hoekerbuis” by the suppression of the “statie”. But, according to WITSEN and VAN YK, the howkers have existed from the earliest times and, hence, long before the appearance of the “Hoekerbuis”.

The “howker” is met with as a contemporary of the “bush” from which it differs quite a good deal in shape; the placing of the “howker” rig on the “bush” proves that the former vessel was already in existence in the time of the latter.

THE “HOEKER” (HOWKER).

II 228 II 229 II 234 III 114

The “Hoeker” (howker) is a boat strongly rounded at the stern, showing a great deal of sheer and carrying a tank for fish. The name comes very probably from “hoek” an iron (hook) used in fishing for cod and haddock, but as the “bush” is spoken of before any mention is made of the “howker”, it must be concluded that the latter came later into use, that is to say, that cod fishing on a large scale was a much later occupation. The date of adoption of the fish tanks is not known. It is probable that this arrangement is very old, but it is possible that it was only applied much later to deep sea fishing.

THE “HARINGJAGER” AND THE “BUISCONVOYER”.

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The “howker” was used not only as a fishing boat but also as a Haringjager (herring hunter), a boat which is sent to get the first catch of the fleet.

The “howker” was also used as a Buisconvoyer (convoy for bushes); it was then armed with several guns and intended to defend the “bushes” against the enemy. Various circumstances contributed to the complete disappearance of the “bushes” and the “howkers”; these are the more and more severe demands laid on this traffic, the combination of herring fishing with that for cod and haddock on one and the same boat, the use of cotton nets which are much lighter than the old ones so that casting the nets is less important on the boat itself. All these causes brought about the creation of boats with fine lines, so that there existed, in 1886, but one howker for 8 sloops and 181 luggers. The sloop and the lugger, which followed it came to us from France.

THE “SLOEP” (SLOOP).

III 119

The “sloop”, having at first one mast with a large boom sail and square stern (HOOGENDIJK, p. 61), was put into use at Middelharnis, Zwarte Waal and Pernis and hence is known generally as a Pernissersloep.

The heavy and unhandy rigging of the single mast was soon replaced by the “lugger” rig, while the square stern disappeared from among the more recent sloops, thus doing away with the principal difference between the two types of vessels.

The sloop has a fish tank and is used for carrying live fish, but it can also be employed for the herring fishery if it has a fore-mast which can be unshipped.

The new types of sloops were not favorably received by the public, says HOOGENDIJK (p. 55), especially in regard to the deep sea herring fishery. Their enormous tonnage gave rise to the fear that they would be too heavy for this kind of work. This loading capacity reached 40 lasts while the ordinary load for a herring boat was but 25 to 30 lasts, to say nothing of the many boats which carried scarcely more than 16 to 20 lasts.

This fear, however, was found to be groundless. The more slender shape of the boat gave less hold for the wind than did the old types and so made it superior for purposes of navigation. No one would think now of preferring the old “bushes” and “howkers” to the modern “lugger” and “sloop”.

THE LOGGER (LUGGER).

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The “lugger” is also a boat of slender form and of French origin.

The construction of the boat, which has no fish tank, is made sufficiently clear by the drawings. The rigging includes two masts. The main-mast, at one-third of the length from the bow, can be lowered. The nets are cast from the bow and are taken in over the side.

THE “BOM”.

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The vessels mentioned above are not, however, the only ones used for the herring fisheries. Another very remarkable type still in use is the “Bom”, a descendant of the “Egmonder Pink”. The “Bom”, built so that it can be allowed to ground, has, like the “Pink”, a very strong bottom and clinker built sides. Its length is double its beam. It carries two masts (a large and a small); the rig is fore and aft and long, narrow lee boards (about 1/3 as long as the vessel). The high tide lands the “Bommen” on the beach whence, after they had been raised by jacks and wooden rollers had been placed under them, horses drew them up on a wooden floor laid on the strand.

The creation of the “Bommenhaven” (harbor for “Bommen”) at Scheveningen makes grounding these craft unnecessary and, consequently, will cause them to disappear, because it is more advantageous to use “luggers”. There will be, therefore, no further reason for the existence of the “Bommen” and the port built for their use will cause their extinction.

This port has also led, already, to the construction of a few “Bommen” with keels, called Loggerbommen or Lelybommen which are intermediate between the “lugger” and the “Bom”. The first of these “Bommen” was launched in 1900, but it has not been imitated often as it is scarcely better than a “lugger”. It is clinker built and has the bow of the “Bom” with the stern of the “lugger”. The old and interesting “Bom” is no longer built; it will belong soon to history, like the “bush” and the “howker”, and with it will disappear the last vestige of the “cog”. Since 1896, the number of these vessels has been already reduced from 324 to 212.

Strength of the "Bomschuiten" Fleet, 1899 to 1905.

1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905

Scheveningen 217 203 194 189 183 158 140

Katwijk 67 68 69 71 74 70 66

Noordwijk 15 15 15 10 10 10 5

Egmond 3 — — — — — —

Haarlem (Ymuiden) 1 1 1 1 1 1 —

Maassluis — — — — — — —

Report on ocean fishing, 1905 (p. 149). 303 289 279 271 268 239 211

THE “GARNALENSCHUIT”.

III 116 III 117

The Garnalenschuit (a boat used for shrimp fishing) resembles somewhat the original “Bom” and its resemblance to the old “Egmonder Pink” is most striking.

THE “SCHOLSCHUIT” OR “BAZAANSCHUIT”—THE ZWARTEWAALSCHE GAFFELAAR.

II 219 II 220

There was met with formerly, alongside of the “bushes” and “howkers”, a fishing boat belonging to the “smack” group: the Scholschuiten (boats used for the sole fishery) also called Bazaanschuit. At Zwartewaal, these vessels carried gaff sails (gaffeltuig) whence their name of Zwarlewaalsche Gaffelaar.

The Scholschuiten were shorter than the “howkers”; but fairly broad and with a strong frame. They resembled greatly the “Visscherssnikken” of Paessens and Wierum (not to be confused with the “Binnensnikken”) and the “Palingschuiten” of Heeg and Gastneer which used to carry eels to London.

The “Scholschuit”, met with at Pernis, Middelharnis and Zwartewaal, was replaced later by the “sloop”.

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The whale fishery, formerly so flourishing, had disappeared completely in the XIXth century. There were 186 boats still following this industry in 1756; but this number had fallen to 66 in 1785, this change being brought about especially by the large premiums granted by England.

As this industry gradually died away in our country, it became more flourishing, on the contrary, in England. In this latter country, only 26 whaling vessels were to be found in 1750; this number increased to 152 in 1785. Premiums of 3000 to 8000 florins, given in that country according to the size of the vessels brought about the result of causing our whaling ships to disappear and only two vessels put out to sea in 1854. (KOENEN, p. 164).

“Noortsvaerders” as well as the “Fluitschepen” already described, were used for this fishery.

The land of the “bushes” was at Vlaardingen and Enkhuizen; a few are found also at Maassluis and Delfshaven, that is: along the Meuse and in the North-West part of the Zuiderzee.

The country of the “Bom” was Scheveningen, Katwijk and Noordwijk, along the flat beach of the North Sea.

That of the “sloop” is Middelharnis, Zwartewaal and Pernis, while the “lugger” is met everywhere.

The old “howker” was found particularly at Maassluis and the “Loggerbom” or “Lelybom” at Scheveningen.

An erroneous idea of the Netherlands fishing fleet would be formed by supposing that only the 724 fishing vessels given in the above list belonged to it. Alongside of these boats, are still found many smaller boats used exclusively for this industry.

If a glance be cast over the Report on the Netherlands Ocean Fishery for 1905, it will be seen that, in this year (p. 342), the fleet contained in all 5334 vessels with a total tonnage of 234,766 tons and a total of 20,141 men in the crews. These figures for 1891 were, respectively: 4427, 164,357 and 15,482.

Situation of the Netherlands Fishing Fleet and of its Crews.

YEAR NUMBER OF VESSELS TOTAL TONNAGE CREWS

1905 5334 234766 20141

1904 5781 215873 21228

1903 5922 218249 21467

1902 5938 215660 21225

1901 5851 199248 20164

1900 5719 195950 19498

1899 5661 191530 19232

1898 5385 186554 18709

1897 5318 184576 18387

1896 5211 181953 17895

1895 5189 179782 17643

1894 5151 176649 17286

1893 4902 172603 16700

1892 4647 167549 16142

1891 4427 164357 15482

The small fishing boats work on the North Sea, along the shores of Friesland and Groningen, on the maritime rivers of Zeeland and of the province of Holland as well as on the Zuiderzee.

All sorts of names of fishing boats are found among them, so that it is very difficult to determine from this point the places whence they come. Then too, these boats have become so numerous in our country during the last fifty years, that the presence of a given type at any place is no proof at all that it had its origin at that place. Thus, for example, “Schokkers” and “Botters” are now to be found on the Upper Meuse where not one of them was ever built. Just so soon as fishing becomes flourishing, there are brought into use all sorts of boats which were never intended originally for any such purpose. In order to form an exact idea of fishing boats and their evolution, only such vessels as were built especially for this use should be considered.

As was said in the general classification, these boats can be divided into principal orders as follows: a) the group of the “Schokkers”; b) that of the “Botters”; c) bluff bowed boats (“Knots”, “Akes”, etc).

THE “SCHOKKER”.

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This boat has a long, fine bow; the stern, on the other hand, is narrow. The hull above the bends falls in sharply. The stem is straight and very much inclined. At the square upper end of the stem is a sheave, one side of which rests on the stem and the other side on a bracket (the “snoes”) which is made firm to the stem. The boat carries a fish tank and has near the bow a cuddy which serves as a lodging. Although the “Schokkers” were originally open at the middle, some are to be found at the present time of larger size and closed. The “Schokker” has at the bow a small deck, called “kootje”.

The “Schokker” carries lee boards and a mast placed at four fifths of the length of the vessel, at the position of the main frame. It is 26.10 m. long, 4.48 m. beam and draws 0.98 m. It is fore and aft rigged (“bazaantuig”) with a short, curved boom and a large fore staysail which is attached to the side abaft the mast, consequently without any travelling bar. This latter is sometimes to be found, however, in these latter times. A jib may be set on the bowsprit. The hull was clinker built formerly, now it is frequently carvel built. It is a very old type of vessel, but the large models only date; however, from the XIXth century. Neither WITSEN nor VAN YK speaks of them, although they were already in existence in their time, for drawings of them appear on the stretchers of the reformed church at Workum which dates from about 1600.

II 203 III 125

The “Schokker” comes originally from the Zuyderzee and especially from the shores of Overijssel (Vollenhoven), of Schokland (probably of Urk also) and of Enkhuizen.

According to common report, the island of Schokland is said to have obtained its name from that of the “Schokkers”.

Its straight, inclined stem separates this boat from the type of the other fishing vessels of the Zuyderzee, with the exception of the “Haringschuit”.

THE “HARINGSCHUIT”.

The Haringschuit (boat used in the herring fishery) may be considered a large “Punter” or a small “Schokker” with less freeboard.

Hence there is no doubt that the old “Schokker”, the “Haringschuit” and the “Punter” belong to the same family. The “Schokker” is distinguished from the others by its higher and more bluff bow, given to it by reason of the more distant trips on the Zuyderzee and the North Sea for which it was intended.

THE “PUNTER” AND THE “GONDEL”.

III 141

The Punter is met with in the North of Overijssel as an inland boat. When of large size, it is used as a fishing boat.

II 183 II 185 III 137

The “Haringschuit” is also met with along the shores of Gelderland, but on the coasts of North Holland is frequently found a small boat, the “Vischschuit van Aalsmeer” (fishing boat from Aalsmeer) which resembles the “Punter” and sails alongside of the Snik or the Gondel (the old cog) of more massive form, just as solid “Schokkers” are found elsewhere alongside of the “Punter”.

The “Gondel”, which carries a fish tank, is used however as an inland craft, on the lakes; it ventures very rarely out to sea. All the same, the stem which has a slight rake rises quite high.

III 130

The same characteristics appear in the “Wierschuitje” of Wieringen where the “Haringschuit” is also met with.

THE “HOOGAARS”.

II 273 III 132 III 133 III 134

The same type is seen in the old “Kinderdijksche Hoogaars” of South Holland, in the “Steegschuit” of the Biesbosch and in the “Steegschuit” and “Hoogaars” of Zeeland, while the “Hengst” and “Veerhengst”, met with in the same neighbourhoods, are also “Hoogaars” which have undergone slight changes. There is also the “Tholensche Schouw” which is just like the “Beyerlandsche Schuitje” used among the islands of South Holland. Both these latter vessels have a high, broad bow; they have no stem, the planking ending on the apron. Hence they are “Akes”.

III 131

The Hoogaars has, therefore, a straight stem with a slight rake, which is much smaller than that of the “Schokker”. The sides which were formerly clinker built are now carvel built. The bow is rather finer than that of the “Schokker”, the stern is rather fuller. The bow is covered while the waist is open and there is a raised deckhouse astern. The “Hoogaarsen” carry a narrow rudder and a lee board on either side; they are fore and aft rigged and show a fore staysail and jib. This vessel is flat-bottomed, like the “schokkers” and other boats already mentioned, but it has no fish tank. The new “Hoogaarsen” of large size have a fuller stern, after the manner of the “Boeiers”, and this gave rise in the second half of the XIXth century to the “Hoogaars-Boeier” type. The tendency to make the stern fuller is found now in all fishing vessels and this is causing the characteristic differences between the various types to disappear.

III 136

The ordinary “Hoogaars” is 15 metres long and 4.50 m. beam.

The “Hoogaars” of Arnemuide is somewhat smaller, entirely open, has a small raised deckhouse in the stern and is rigged with spritsails.

THE “STEEKSCHUIT”.

The Steekschuit, constructed like a “Hoogaars”, is rather heavier in build and the bow falls in less. The sternpost is rounded at the upper end.

THE “HENGST”.

The “Hengst” differs very little from the “Hoogaars”. It is used a great deal on the “Hollandsche Diep” (Willemstad.)

III 139

All the types before described carry long narrow lee boards, with the exception of the “Tolensche Schouw” and the “Kinderijksche Hoogaars” of which the lee boards are wider. Fishing for oysters and mussels now employ a great many “Boeieraakjes”.

THE “BOTTER”.

III 121 III 127 II 200 II 123

Instead of types with a straight stem, there are types now to be found, to the West of the Zuiderzee and the island of Urk, which have a curved stem. They bear a large number of names by reason of slight differences among themselves, but they all belong to the same family, that of the Botters, of which the old “Tochtschuiten” and “Kubbooten” were the forerunners. Aside from the stem, every thing that has been said in regard to the “Schokkers” is applicable here. They are met with at Urk and along the North Holland shore of the Zuiderzee, South of Medemblik, as well as in the provinces of Utrecht and of Gelderland as far as Harderwijk. Their names vary.

III 126 III 122

The oldest form is the “Kubboot”, which is met with under the names of “Vollendammer Kwakken”, “Bonse”, “Plüte”, and at Maassluis under that of “Platje van Maassluis”.

THE “BLAZER”.

Since the end of the XIXth century, the “Botters” have been built bigger and more bluff, the result being the Blazer type, of which the curved stem falls in less and of which the stern is fuller than that of the “Botter”. This kind of boat is used for fishing in the North Sea and is found all along our shores.

III 124

“Blazers” are now built with a “Boeier” stern, giving a mixed type: the Blazerboeier. This boat, by reason of its great stability, will soon take the place of the “Schokkers” and the “Botters”.

THE “LEMMERAAK”.

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“Akes” are more and more used for fishing in the Zuyderzee. These vessels come from Friesland where they are called Lemmeraak or “Lemmerjacht”.

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They are passably short but robust and bluff, thoroughly suited for running in shallow water.

THE “BOLLE” AND THE “KNOTS”.

III 129 III 135

The preceding type of boat is found at Urk under the name of Bolle van Urk, or else of “Bolletje van Urk”. It is derived from the “smack” group. It is curious to note that boats of the same kind have long frequented the port of Antwerp under the name of Knots van Antwerpen. (“Knots of Antwerp”).

THE “JOL”.

At Stavoren, there still exists the Stavorensche Jol (Stavoren Yawl), a small, short, bluff boat with a keel; it is exceedingly steady on the water. It is also met with now at Enkhuizen and at Medenblik. It is a clinker built boat (sometimes carvel built at the present time) which is often compared to a “sabot” on account of its rounded forms. It carries a fish tank and, as it has a keel, the lee boards are lacking. It is spritsail rigged, and its tonnage is from 4 to 6 tons.

At the Helder, at Enkhuizen and at Medenblik a great deal of use is made of flats, of which the length may be as much as 10 metres. The stern has a sternframe; the quite long bow, on the contrary, rises high with a slight rake. The vessel is clinker built and carries two bilge keels and a bit of a false keel at the after end of the main keel. It gauges generally from 2 to 5 tons.

As a rule, the tonnage of the “Botters” and “Schokkers” varies from 20 to 30 tons. The smaller types met with at Huizen run from 16 to 20 tons, and at Harderwijck and Elburg, from 13 to 18 tons.

The variations between the fundamental groups may be attributed to the different ideas of builders, just as there are differences in the costumes of various countries.

But the difference between the types of a same group is, on the contrary, the result of the use made of the boat and hence of the fishing apparatus employed on board.

In order to make this more easily understood, it will be well to give a short description of the fishing apparatus used on the Zuiderzee, this description being taken from the report published by the Zuiderzeevereeniging (1905, pp. 35 et seq), as well from the annual reports on deep sea fishing.

The fishing outfit can be divided into movable apparatus and fixed apparatus, the latter being the less important for our study.

Belonging to the former, there are:

a) The Wonderkuil (anglicé: miraculous pocket) which, like the Kwakkuil and the Dwarskuil, is composed of a net, in the shape of a pocket which has its mouth kept open by a square frame (made of four pieces of wood called “juffers-oorstokken”). The net is moved ahead while holding the frame vertical, all the apparatus touching the bottom. The fish enters at the mouth and is captured in a convergent bag. The movement through the water distends the net. The “Wonderkuil” is hung between two “Botters”, which go ahead at the greatest possible speed so as to entrap the quick swimming fish, such as the herring. The large “Botters”, being good sailers, are very well suited to this work.

The “Wonderkuil” scarcely touches the bottom on account of the great speed, but every fish which comes in front of the opening is taken, necessarily. The narrowing of the meshes, caused by the great speed, prevents any from escaping.

b) The Kwakkuil, used at Vollendam, is a small “Wonderkuil” drawn by one boat which is generally a “Vollendammer Kwak”. The pocket is then attached to two beams fastened together crosswise at the stern of the boat. As the speed is less than that attained with the “Wonderkuil”, the net drags along the bottom which enables eels, plaice and sole to be taken.

c) The Dwarskuil (transverse pocket), smaller than the “Kwakkuil” but of the same shape, is fastened to the side of the boat by lines which lead to the bow and stern. In order to work it, the boat must move crossways and, naturally, its change of position is slow. The boat should not be flat bottomed, and while fishing is going on the lee boards should be raised.

The “Wonderkuil” is used in deep water and on hard sandy bottoms; in shoaler water and on soft bottoms the “Kwakkuil” is brought into play, and in the shallow waters of Utrecht and Gelderland it is the “Dwarskuilen” which is employed.

The many complaints about the destruction of fish by the “Wonderkuil” were not born of yesterday; for already, in 1559, an ordinance fixed the size of the meshes of the “Aetkens of Steerten” (of the tails of the nets).

There should certainly be mentioned as part of the movable outfit, the drag nets used for catching herring, anchovy, sole and smelt. They are used in all the large fishing ports of the Zuiderzee. These nets are dragged between any two boats whatever.

Along the Frisian coast, fishing is carried on mainly with fixed apparatus; this is particularly the case to the North of Makkum. This way of fishing requires only small boats (24 to 30 traps per boat). Eel and herring traps are used for this purpose. It is probable also that the old Kubboot owes its name to a fishing instrument called “Kub”, a wicker basket shaped like a funnel, nearly closed at the lower end where, however, a small opening is left. Following this opening is a small silk net in which an opening allows the eels to pass which are piled up in the basket.

Fishing in the Zuiderzee is of a special sort because a large number of Zuiderzee fishermen frequent the North Sea while others devote themselves to fishing in the rivers; those who spend the entire year on the Zuiderzee itself, are the fewest in number. The first use large “Blazers”, “Schokkers” and “Botters”; the second take the “Gondels”, “Lemmeraken”, “Punters”, etc., and the last use “Kwakken”, “Kubbooten” and “Haringschuiten”.

Besides those just mentioned, there are a whole series of chance fishermen using all sorts of boats. Hence it is very difficult to give the exact number of boats in use for fishing and the figures in the above tables are only round totals in so far, at least, as they relate to the Zuiderzee.

THE “WATERSCHIP”.

II 238

The vessel called “Waterschip”, used for towing the Zeekameelen (a sort of floating dock) through the Pampus, has long been known. The “Waterschip” was, at the beginning, a simple Marken “Botter”. As has been seen already, the “Zeekameelen” date from 1691. They were built later with a stronger stem and sternpost and with a deckhouse abaft the mast. These vessels become thus still more separated from the old “Botters”.

The towing of the ships of the East India Company, which belonged at first to two private societies (the Big and the Little Societies), was granted by contract, subsequently to 1741, to the more important society which gave to its “Waterscheepjes”, as a distinguishing mark, a plate of tin fastened to the stem. This measure did not suffice, however, to keep off the competitors. It was ordered, in 1783, that the Admiralty arms should be painted on the sails of the accepted vessels, just as letters are painted on the sails of fishing boats at the present time.

Under the French domination, when navigation was reduced to a forced suspension, the “Waterschepen” went so to pieces that, in 1824, of the 18 which were still in existence, 6 were broken up. The remainder were sold in 1827, after the opening of the North Holland Canal. (LE COMTE, p. 38.)

These “Waterschepen” must not be confounded with those used for carrying sea water and of which a few engravings are reproduced in the collection. These boats, with scarcely an exception, belong to the group of “smacks”.

T he number of the Annales de Travaux Publics of Belgium for August 1901 contains a detailed study of the Inland Navigation floating stock circulating in Belgium. This study is the work of Mr. DEHEM, Principal Engineer of the Ponts et Chaussées. It contains a description of the types of boats in use on the French and Belgian canals. These types of boats, built especially for these canals, are of no historic value. As they are seen frequently, however, on the Zuid-Willemsvaart (the canal from Maastricht to Bois-le-Duc), a brief description of these boats, called “Ballanten” in Holland, will not be out of place.

They can be classified, as a rule, as follows[26]:

A) Baquets of Charleroi; B) Walloon boats or “péniches”.

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The boat of group A, called “Bak” in Flemish, is a parallelopipedon in shape. Its average length is 19.50 m.; its breadth, 2.60 to 2.65 m.; it draws from 0.35 m. to 0.40 m. when light and 1.80 m. when fully laden. With the latter draught its tonnage oscillates between 67 and 71 tons. This type of boat was introduced particularly for navigation on the Charleroi canal, of which the old small locks have a neat length of 19 metres and a breadth of 2.70 m. The clear height of the permanent bridges on this navigable highway varies from 2.65 m. to 3 metres.

These boats cost from 4500 to 7500 francs.

The boat of group B, called “Waal” in Flemish, is also a box having the shape of a parallelopipedon with a flat bottom and nearly plane sides. According to the differences in shape of the bow and stern, these boats are known by different names, such as: 1º Tournai boat; 2º chaland; 3º bélandre; 4º pointu.

It should be said, however, that the last two names should be assigned rather to old types and that the first two should be reserved for the large canal boats (péniches) generally built at present.

The Tournai boat has the forward and after faces rounded and a quite marked curve in the vertical plane, so that the boat shows a curved stem called the nose. The forward face carries a bend called the moustache and has on top a wooden rail to support the tow line which is made fast to the towing bitt back of the nose.

In the chaland, called also “Ballant”, the forward and after faces are nearly plane, the nose and moustache are slightly marked and the towing bitt is placed at the extreme forward end of the boat.

As a rule, these boats are not very strongly built and their planking suffers a good deal through the sharp curves at bow and stern. Their shape is so determined that they shall exactly fill the locks and that they shall then have a maximum loading capacity, although it is altogether incomprehensible that, just in order to get a few more tons on board, the whole question of facility of towing should be entirely neglected. What is gained then in one way is doubly lost in another in high charges for towing.