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.