The “Damlooper” was a vessel of the same type as the preceding but
so built that it could pass through the lock of the “Leidschen Dam”.
~Van Yk~ gives its dimensions as follows (p. 312):
[Sidenote: II 212]
“’T Schip (de Damlooper) zal lang zijn 56 voeten, wijd dat de zwaarden
afhangen, het rakende en echter gemaklijk door de Duikers van den
Leidsen dam kan gebragt werde, zo sal dat schip op de bovebuitekant van
de Kimmegang of wentelstrook, so wijd als op ’t Barkhout wesen moeten
en ten minsten van binnen tegen de zetwegers gemeeten zijnde elf voeten
en een duym wijdte hebben.”[22]
The capacity of the vessel is given further on as 18 last (= 36 tonnes).
The lock of the “Leidschen Dam”, which is in question here, was built
under authority of the provincial Act of 1617 and reconstructed in
1648. This lock, like the one of the Gouwe, dating from the XIVth
century[23], was only replaced in 1885, by a new lock of 7 metres clear
width and with a depth of 2.20 m. on the mitre sills. The provincial
States of South Holland had the following inscription placed on a
stone in the lock keeper’s dwelling of the “Leidschen Dam” in order to
commemorate the event.
“In 1885 is de verbetering der vaart tusschen Rijn en Schie door de
Staten van Holland ondernomen. Hier waar de naijver der steden tot
1648 slechts een overtoom en daarna een verlaat van 3.80 m. wijdte en
doorvaarthoogte van 2.20 m. gedoogde, hebben zij deze sluis wijd 7
meter met beweegbare bruggen bevolen”[24].
Hence, the existing obstacles were only removed in 1885. It was
therefore up to this time that the “Smalschepen” and “Wijdschepen” and
the “Damloopers” had any reason to exist. They are no longer mentioned,
however, in the XIXth century, the “hoys” being then almost exclusively
spoken of. Hence, it is here again merely a change of name without any
change of form in the vessels. All the same, the inland boats underwent
an important modification in the course of the XIXth century. Indeed,
~Van Loon~ tells us (p. 69): “The angular forms of the bow and stern
gave way to the more rounded forms of these parts of the vessel and of
the hull in general”. This gave the boat a generally regular and smooth
shape. These angular shapes are no longer found save in a few old
“Poonen” and “Schuiten”. The old engravings give a good idea of this
angular construction which, on some of them, is so deep that it would
be believed that the planking outside was clinker laid.
Hence it is seen that, in the XIXth century, a certain number of
vessels, which had been known previously by different names, were all
included under the generic name of “hoy”.