Thames Barge

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Side view of a Thames Barge

The Thames Barge or Thames Sailing Barge (German about: Thames-Lighter or Thames- Sailing Barge ) is a small type of cargo sailing ship.

history

The widespread type of ship has been used on the Thames since at least the 17th century . Its period of use extended into modern times. The ships were repeatedly changed in their design and adapted to new conditions. Today only about a handful of historical vehicles that are operated as traditional ships or leisure vehicles are preserved.

Construction

The design was first described in more detail in 1768 in Fredrik Henrik af Chapman's Architectura Navalis Mercatoria , but the roots go back further. The hull of the wide wooden cargo sailor with spritsail and foresail has a flat bottom at all stages of development so that it can fall dry when the tide falls . Early designs have butt-tapering ends with a raised ship's floor fore and aft, later and especially the last ones were more adapted to the design of other flat-bottomed ships, for example those of the Dutch shipyards. The building material was initially wood, but later the ships were increasingly built as composite structures and finally of steel. The ships described by Chapman were open with laterally diverging outer planking, late ships are similar to conventional flat-bottomed ships with a vertical stern, in which most of the deck is claimed by the single large hatch. The only mast that can be folded down for the passage of bridges is about a third forward. The ships have two centrally arranged large leeboards . The sails consist of a large spritsail and a headsail.

literature

  • Bathe, BW: Ship Models, 3: British Small Craft . Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London 1965.

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