Barge - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

History

Since the Middle Ages

Since the end of the the Middle Ages, boats of various types according to the rivers, ancestors of the barges, were built to exploit the water ways which were the “calm” rivers and channels built initially to drain the marshes and to join two rivers between them (Canal of Briare, 1642). Simple forms, bearing of already interesting tonnages (in comparison with the terrestrial way) in spite of their weak depression (thank you Archimedes), these boats allowed the economic expansion of certain zones thanks to the possibility of making travel without clash and to lower costs various food products which the absence of motor-roads forced to satisfy only one local market. They could be of rather summary construction, having to make only one voyage to be destroyed on arrival and their wood resold like wood of heating or work. These boats were named, according to their origin and their architecture, " Marnois " (the high Seine, the Marne, Yonne…), " Barge " (The Loire), " Sisselande " (The Saone and the Rhone), " Courpet " (The Dordogne), " Chalibardon " (Adour), " Crane tower " (The Loire and Allier), etc (the complete listing is almost impossible to draw up, even on France alone).

Name " péniche" is unsuitable to indicate these boats. The word would come from " Norway pine " (boat manufactured in pine) which would have forwarded by the England while becoming " then; pinace" whose pronunciation would have given " péniche". The conditional one is of rigor.

The gauges Becquey and Freycinet

Various gauges were tested according to the lock S equipping the channels built until the end with the 19th century. The most standardized were then the gauge " Becquey " (1822. Locks of 30,40 m X 5,20 m, damping 1,60 m, headroom 3 m), supplanted in 1879 by the Gauge Freycinet determined by dimensions of the barge known as " flamande" or " spits" : locks of 39,50 m X 5,20, damping 2,20 m, headroom 3,70 m, adopted and imposed by the reform Freycinet of 1879

The traditional barge most current, out of wood and known as thus Gauge Freycinet, 38,50 measurement; m length on 5,05 m broad. According to its origin and its morphology, it can be a " Bélandre ", a " Alsatian " , a " Spits ", a " Flemish " …

A galvaudé term

For the purists, only merit the name of " péniche" this type of boat, with these dimensions. It will be noticed besides that the word " péniche" is very seldom employed by the marines themselves, which speak about " bateau" , " automoteur" , " chargé" or " vide". Formerly, from the time when all the boats were not motorized, one distinguished the " tractionnés" or " tractions" , which was still hauled, and " moteur".

If one can tolerate the use of the word " péniche" for boats of the " kind; Tjalk ", " Luxmotor ", " Aak " (which was and is still for certain boats of Dutch transport) or " Motorized of river " , the question it is quite out ofit is quite out of to apply it to the small pleasure boats, whose official name is " Stage coach of pleasure " : the difference is the same one as between a semitrailer and a motor home! Not to pass for a total ignare in this field, it is enough to be folded back prudently behind the word " bateau" , quite simply!

Modes of traction

Animal and human haulage

Before being motorized, the barges were tractor drawn along the ways known as of Halage by men who drew to two or three using a harness called “ arranges ”, before, the gauge and consequently increasing tonnage, it was necessary to entrust this work to animals (horses, ass S or Mulet S), and in certain areas of the south of France, of the Boeuf S. On the small channels, like that of the Berry, for example, it was not rare only the marine draws his “berrichon” (60 tons of freight) at the same time as the ass or the mule whereas his wife was with (X) the Timon (S).

Motorization

In the north of France, at the beginning of the 20th century, towings were made by electric power trolleys, circulating on rails, in the zones with strong traffic to increase the output of the water way.

In the center of France, tyred tractors of mark Latil worked to tow the boats until the end of the years 1960.

In the delicate passages (crossed river, tunnels) the barges assembled in convoys were tractor drawn by motorized boats (electric vapor then) of a special type, the Toueur S, which were hauled themselves, by means of a winch on board, on an immersed chain whose ends were fixed at ground at the two ends of their course. More tardily (fine of the 20th century) of powerful pushers can push convoys of barges or barges.

Types of barges

The " type; Freycinet" out of wood

According to the possible depression in water (channel or river), a barge “Freycinet” can carry from 250 to 350 tons of freight (itself weighs in the neighborhoods of 50 tons). Taking into account the slowness of displacements, the crew lives in general on board, often in family in the housing of the Batelier.

Motorized iron barges

The last barges out of wooden disappeared after the Second world war, replaced by motorized Chaland S out of iron, same dimensions. The latter are sometimes called them also “barges”, but in an abusive way.

The motorization initially was not very powerful. The first engines (of mark Baudouin, often) developed only 70 with 90 CH. Most recent provide a power of 200 to 250 CH, allowing them to push a barge in front of them. With the maximum depression of the current gauge, a péniche+barge unit can then carry close to 700 tons.

The control of freight is done by measuring six points of depression around the boat, initially with load, then with vacuum like, at the same time, the level of free water in the peaks (local with before and with the back, being able to be used as tank with ballast) and by deferring measurements on a diagram of gauge which gives tonnage with a satisfactory precision.

To note that, not to penalize the draft, the propeller is located above the level of the bottom of the boat. To advance Light (with vacuum), it is thus necessary, to avoid the Cavitation, of ballast er partially on the back so that the propeller is in water. Devices anti-cavitation were indeed invented, but maneuverability (especially in step back) is then decreased.

Barges with large gauge

The large barges sailing on the Rhine and the channels with large gauge currently measure 80 meters length for 11,50 broad and a depression of 3,50 meters. Equipped with an engine of approximately: 1000 CH, they can take along: 2500 tons of freight. Equipped with radars, of equipment of navigation of night, they can evolve/move without stop, according to their crew, and thus cover important distances within relatively weak times. The carburizing report/ratio/freight/distances are then unbeatable.

Special uses

Certaines barges was transformed for a nearly exclusive use of dwelling.
the barges of sea are built more firmly and can make Cabotage.
a landing barge is a boat Militaire flat-bottomed used to unload troops and material on the Plage S.

See too

barge|barge

Barge
Classification of the channels according to the gauges
River navigation

External bonds

Photographs of barges dwellings of France
To discover France of the water way
a barge-lodging on the Channel of the South
the Flemish barge, dictionary of the inland waterway vessels of France
the barge and the river inheritance

Gallery

Random links:

Low fundamental | Prométhée or the poem of fire | Pita (Guinea) | The Community of communes the Moselle and Madon | John H. Edwards