[Sidenote: 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”.
[Illustration: 6]
The 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”.
[Sidenote: II 257]
[Sidenote: II 265]
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.
The only explanation which can be given for this manner of building
is, that most boatmen have their own tow horses, for which a stable
is placed at the centre of the boat, so that they do not notice the
additional costs of towing which they have to pay.
The dimensions of Tournai boats and of the chalands are the same; their
length varies from 37.50 m. to 39 metres, not counting the rudder,
and their breadth goes from 5.00 m. to 5.05 m.; they draw empty, on
an average, 0.28 m., and when loaded from 1.80 m. to 2.30 m., with a
tonnage of 300 to 370 tons.
By comparing the _bélandres_ and _pointus_ with these boats, it can be
seen that the latter can carry less than the former on account of their
finer bow, whence their name of _Pointu_ or _Spits_.
The essential difference between the “bélandre”, called in Flemish
_Bijlander_, and the “pointu” lies in this, that the bottom of the
former connects with the forward face by means of a curved surface,
whereas the bottom of the latter remains flat up to the nose. The two
types differ little in other respects. They are rarely built now. It
is true that new “pointus” are still met with, but they should be
considered rather as bastard “péniches”. Here again is seen a fusion of
different forms accompanying an increase in the size of the boats.
The “bélandres” are 28 to 34 metres long, 4.60 m. to 5 metres broad and
draw 0.30 m. to 0.40 m. light and up to 2 metres loaded.
The “pointu” is 20 to 30 metres long and generally 3.50 m. broad (never
reaching 5 metres); it draws light, on an average, 0.35 m., and 1.80 m.
when loaded. Its tonnage is from 100 to 200 tons.
The largest _pointus_ measure 32 metres in length and 4.90 m. in
breadth; they gauge at most 250 tons on a draught of 2.15 m.
Many of the types just mentioned are now often built of steel.
The “Prij” should also be mentioned in the chapter relating to these
boats; it is a “spits” made in two distinct parts, each of which can be
loaded separately.
[Illustration]