Durham Boat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Class overview

Builders:	Durham Boat Company of Durham,Pennsylvania
Operators:	commercial freight haulers and Continental Army troops
In service:	1750
General characteristics
Type:	Durham Boat
Length:	40 ft (12 m) to 60 ft (18 m)
Beam:	8 ft (2.4 m)
Draught:	1 ft 8 in (0.51 m) when carrying 15 tons
Propulsion:	two masts with sails, or push poles, or oars
Speed:	varied
Capacity:	17 tons while traveling downstream and two tons while traveling upstream
Complement:	four crew, plus steersman
Armament:	none
Notes:	Built to ferry freight, primarily across the Delaware River

The Durham Boat was a large wooden boat produced by the Durham Boat Company of Durham, Pennsylvania, starting in 1750. They were designed by company owner Robert Durham to navigate the Delaware River and thus transport the products produced by the Durham Forges and Durham Mills to Trenton, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1 Construction
2 Capability
3 Historical use
4 References

[edit] Construction

They were flatbottomed boats -- provided with keels -- with high vertical side which ran parallel to each other up to a point 12 to 14 feet from the boat's ends, where they then tapered. The boats were constructed of 1.25 inch thick planks and measured up to 60 feet long by 8 feet wide by 42 inches deep. They displaced a draft of 3.5 inches when light and 28 inches when fully loaded.

Since both ends were tapered, either end could serve as the bow of the boat since the heavy steering gear, called a "sweep." could be shifted to either end. As a result, the boat could go in either direction depending on the placement of the steering sweep and the movement of the poles or oars.

[edit] Capability

They were designed to be able to carry a maximum load of 17 tons while traveling downstream and two tons while traveling upstream. Thus they could carry 150 barrels of flour or 600 bushels of corn. It took three or four men, plus a steersman, to operate the boats. Moving downstream they used 12 foot to 18 foot long "setting poles" mainly for steering and when moving upstream they used these poles to push the boats upriver. The crew walked back and forth on "walking boards" built into the sides of the boats. Some were later fitted for the use of oars.