Barge styles

This page will gradually grow as more pictures are added and I find more barges to photograph. But for starters I have included the main Dutch styles still found on the waterways plus one example of an English barge.

Luxemotor (left) - the classic Dutch barge on which most modern replicas base their styling. Luxe motors always had living quarters included aft of the wheelhouse - hence the "luxury" name. This particular conversion has stayed largely true to the original styling, although the cargo hold has had raised cabin sides added to provide headroom below.

Tjalk (right) - there are a number ot types of tjalk. This one is a Boltjalk but all have the distinctive curved bows and sterns, and were built largely along the same lines as their wooden predecessors - with planks of iron replacing the plans of wood. They started life as sailing barges but many were converted to motor in the 1920s and 1930s.

This is an Aak. The distinctive feature is the lack of a stem post (in Dutch, a voorsteven) where the plates from each side curve round and are joined at the bow. The metal plates were brought round at the bow and fixed to a single shaped metal plate (the heve). This particular boat, which was sold through Rugby Boat Sales in 2008, is unusual in that the bow is that of an Aak, yet the stern is like a Dutch Klipper. One guess is that it was built to order as a one off. The size is such that it would have mainly worked the smaller Dutch waterways - probably carrying a wide range of everyday goods.

This is the bow (left) and stern (right) of an English built barge - dating from the 1930s and used to carry coal along the Calder and Hebble and the Aire and Calder Navigations of South Yorkshire. Built by John Harker's famous yard at Knottingley (Harker's also built barges in Gloucestershire for use on the Severn and the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal) it has a very bluff bow and stern to maximise carrying capacity. The original wheelhouse was a much narrower affair but this barge has been converted (as have most if not scrapped) into a fine floating residence.