Talk:Durham Boat

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Hi, I was one of the captains of the "Endurance" from 1992 to about 2000. The Endurance is a 50 foot Durham boat replica built for the 150th anniversary of the Rideau Canal which connects Ottawa to Kingston (Canada). The Durham boat could also use a square sail on a mast that could easily be taken down (20 min) to go under the bridges. Since the Durham boat has a flat bottom and no keel, it is very fast but quite difficult to control in high winds. It will outrun most modern sail boats. Our experience showed us that a 5 man crew (4 + captain) is the minimum crew size with this ship. Polling is quite fast and effective when there is little water and rowing (facing forward and standing on the walking boards) is quite slow and painful especially if you are tall. It is true that these boats are famous for their use in Washington's crossing of the Delaware during the American Revolution. Also, they were use by both the Canadian and American sides during the War of 1812.

If you want pictures, video or more info on the Durham boat, call me in Montréal, Canada at 514-987-6253. Nicolas Cadieux

[edit] Interesting

Interesting... You mention that this type of boat had no keel, but Christopher Ward notes that it did at the time used by the Continental Army. Perhaps the keel was done away with later as, according to your comments, the boat served a useful purpose for quite some time, including the War of 1812.

Also, carrying all that weight (17 tons or so) I would think a keel would be necessary to help distribute weight.

Also note: the original editor of this piece stated a three man crew, but Ward indicates five, four to pole and one to steer. With just three crew, this system of poling would be quite difficult. With four crew and a steersman, then two could walk each side and the steersman be at the steering post.Wikited (talk) 19:39, 10 April 2008 (UTC)