Chapter 6 (headpiece)
Chapter 6 (headpiece)
Drop cap, T
The number of theAnnales de Travaux Publicsof 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 groupA, 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 groupB, 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 thenose. 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 thechaland, 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 thebélandresandpointuswith these boats, itcan be seen that the latter can carry less than the former on account of their finer bow, whence their name ofPointuorSpits.
The essential difference between the “bélandre”, called in FlemishBijlander, 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 largestpointusmeasure 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.
[26]As the names of the boats which follow are almost strictly local, no attempt has been made to translate them.Péniche, however, is the general name in France and Belgium for the standard canal boat of about 300 tons.
[26]As the names of the boats which follow are almost strictly local, no attempt has been made to translate them.Péniche, however, is the general name in France and Belgium for the standard canal boat of about 300 tons.
[26]As the names of the boats which follow are almost strictly local, no attempt has been made to translate them.Péniche, however, is the general name in France and Belgium for the standard canal boat of about 300 tons.
Tailpiece Chapter 6