Zomp

Zomp

The zomp is an old type of ship that was used east of the IJssel . Between 1670 and 1920 these ships sailed on the Vechte , Regge , Schipbeek and Berkel . The shape of the zomp corresponds to more than a barge with far outwardly curved side walls. A large cargo space with a shallow draft was created by attachable boards. Most of the zomps were built in Enter (Overijssel) .

The zomp had a load capacity of around 8.5 tons, was 12 meters long and 2.5 meters wide. Due to the flat bottom it was only 40 centimeters deep. These boats were very good for navigating narrow and shallow waters. If the wind was not enough for sailing, the boats had a mainsail and a foresail, they were punted or even towed .

In the bow there was a small room in which the crew could also spend the night. There were different types of zomps. The Berkelzomp was a bit smaller and the Vriezenveense Torfzomp was the smallest. From 1850 on, larger canals were built and the zomps gradually disappeared. The last zomp ran until 1925 and came to the Nederlands Openluchtmuseum Arnhem in 1942 , where it was destroyed in the course of the Allied military operation Market Garden .