FLAT-BOTTOM type ship

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aukepalmhof
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FLAT-BOTTOM type ship

Post by aukepalmhof » Sat Sep 23, 2017 3:22 am

For Sail Amsterdam 1985 the Dutch Post issued one stamp of 70c which shows us the rigging of a flat-bodem ship. By looking at the design a botter rigging has been used, see http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewt ... ter#p11282
The envelope was used during Operation Sail 1986 from 3 – 6 July 1986 in New York in which 35 flat-bottem vessel from the Netherlands took part. The USA stamp was issued for the 100th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.
A flat bottom is - strictly - a ship with a flat bottom but usually this means an historical sailing vessels from the low countries that do not have, or almost have no keel. A flat bottom is also referred to as a flat-bottemed vessel - especially in earlier years.
Features
The features are a flat or substantially flat bottom and a keel that does not or barely stick beneath the bottom. A flat bottom has leeboards instead of a keel .
Platbodems have little draught and they can sit on the bottom without any problems. In tidal waters , they can wait during low tide on a sandbank till the water raise again.
In the Wadden Sea and the Zeeland waters this was often done by, for example, the shell, kelp and oysters fishermen. Their ships were equipped with a heavily constructed bottoms. In Zeeland: the hoogaars and the hengst, in the Wadden Sea: the Wieringeraak and various bolschepen . The smaller flat-bottoms were used for fishing and transport on the relatively shallow inland waters. In the province of Friesland, flat-bottom (mostly tjalks and barges ) were used to transport their cargo (peat, manure and mound earth) through shallow waters from Friesland to the Westland and the Randstad.
Original flat-bottom yachts are usually registered in the registry of round and flat-bottom yachts . The ships of the type of round-bottom, such as the Lemsteraak , Staverse jol and the boyer, belong to the family of flat bottom ships.
Distribution area
Flat-bodems are very suitable for the wadden areas and shallow estuarines of rivers. In Western Europe, they therefore occur in an area that extends from the Baltic Sea through the Frisian language area (including North Germany ), the Low Countries (including Belgium) and South-East England to the Thames River.
Current use
Chartering
Many Dutch flatbottoms, especially former sailing iron cargo ships, have been retained due to the rise of the tourist charter market , in the commenly named the Brown Fleet . They are then adapted for the reception of passengers, as a sailing holiday home (sometimes partyschip) with which cruises are held. This usually leads, but not always, to concessions related to the authenticity of the original ship. Fortunately, there are various, nicely refurbished larger ships. A number of things have also been developed on these ships, whether or not using modern materials. So some things can also be placed in modern times. These ships must fully comply with modern regulations and their owners want to earn their bread as before. This requires adjustments sometimes seen as non authentic.
Meanwhile, a number of ships have been built which have nothing to do with traditional or authentic. These drive the emotions of customers who want extreme comfort or a pirate ship.
They are sometimes acclaimed with brand names, while the words "authentic" and "original" are sometimes used in a very dubious way.
Monumental Company Ship
Another group of skipper/owners has returned its ships in old state as a sailing company vessel, with minimal necessary adjustments related to safety. These ships are often registered in the Netherlands as a Sailing monument in the National Register of Sailing Monuments . The owners are often members of the National Association for Conservation of the Historic Business Ship, the LVBHB. These flat-bottoms sometimes make trips, even fishing is possible. The proceeds of this form of rental are used to preserve the ship as a cultural heritage .
Pleasure craft
Some are also used as a pleasure craft. The owners of these last two groups often spend a lot of time, effort and money to keep their ships in good original condition.
Several municipalities with a port along the former Zuiderzee have recently shown that providing a berth to such ships is a good thing for the hospatality industry and shops, and that the ships greatly improves the view of the port and the city.
Houseboat;
A large number of former flat-bottoms are used as houseboats. They are moored with people as residents. It is possible that these ships fall under one of the above categories. There is also a new build accommodation on an existing hull. Whether it is falling under improving the view, always remains in dispute. Practically, however, it is generally for the intended purpose.
Species by geographic area
There are various types of flat-bottom with each their own features.
In the wadden area they were round of construction and were named as aak .
In the Frisian lake area , they were also built round but much lighter of execution and of exceptional beauty.
In the Zeeland waters they were sharp in construction with more depth fore than behind.
There was a lot of variation in the Zuiderzee (now IJselmeer) area
Ships of the eastern shore as the schokkers, bons and zeepunter are sharp and angular of construction.
West-shore and south-shore vessels are full-round and high at the bow with a deck, and low and open at the stern (clean), like the various botters and bolschepen, this was necessary for the various types of fishing.
Types of cargo
By cargo transport on the inland waterways , they are long and narrow in shape with a wide variety in performance and size. Among them are the types of aak , river clipper and the large family of tjalks and prams . These ships are often built with a particular purpose in mind. Thus, there are many different sizes and hull shapes. When used as a fisshing vessel, often made for a particular fishing area. Or for example, a format built special for a particular lock.
Especially the tjalks were the water-transport vehicle in the Low Countries and were used for everything, from the transport of peat, mound-earth and drek with the friesian tjalk and passenger transport across the Zuiderzee (now IJselmeer).

source: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platbodem

Netherland 1985 70c sg?, scott
Attachments
Image (46).jpg
Image (45).jpg

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