[Sidenote: III 47]
[Sidenote: II 176]
[Sidenote: II 178]
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:
[Sidenote: II 177]
“Te lichten menich schip bequaem”
“Daar af voert dit schip zijnen naem”.
(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.
[Sidenote: 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.