River barges oceanworthy?

[gregc]

I have this idea (fantasy, really) of constructing a barge-style vessel similar to the river barges common in France and Holland. This boat would be equipped for liveaboard purposes. I've seen many photos of these types of vessels, some of considerable length (30m+) with very prominent bows.

Are vessels of this kind suitable for coastal cruising within 1 km of shore? I would be looking primarily to ply the waters between the Boston and Cape Cod, perhaps a seasonal trip to Maine. If so, can someone refer to me to a design or style in the 12-15m range?

Thanks,

Greg

[yago]

Greg, you should have a look at dutch Barges. there are many different types - all more or less flat bottom and wide and beamy, most with leeboards. Typical is the short, round gaff.

a good overview is at http://www.ssrp.nl/scheepstypen.asp

Although they were built for tidal waters, and some types specifically for working on canals and inland seas, a lot of these boats did indeed go offshore. I remember having read an article about trading oranges from Marocco, which would have taken them out of the channel, across the Biscay (which can be VERY nasty) and past Gibraltar. There are many restored barges, as well as lots of new boats being built all the time, in all sizes, and a very active racing scene.

Many years ago I had a friend who lived on a converted Thames barge, called "Gravel" (that's what she was built to carry) and the amount of living room was staggering. He claimed that originally she had been rigged as a yawl, and planned to restore her, but I do not know what became of the project.

[cyclops]

Are you looking at using space below the main flush deck as the main reason for a barge type of houseboat? What speed would you want in 3' to 6' waves or swells?---------Off shore barge life is very exciting to say the very least. There are a lot of ups and downs compared to life in canals.

[PAR]

This is a 50' design you may be interested in. 16' beam, lots of stowage and twin powered. I wouldn't take her very far off shore, but she has more hull then a barge can brag about.

[kmorin]

GregC,
William Garden's book (Yacht Designs) show a sailing 40 x 17 barge shape (Tillicum p.127) that he states plied lumber up and down the west coast years ago. He mentions that they were even more used in New Zealand and there was information in the Smithsonian about these sailing scows.

Along the Alaskan coast there is common type of power boat typically called a power scow. Nothing but a huge flat bottomed box with ramped up end, dead plumb sides and engines that plow along at 8-10 knots. They were (are) used to haul salmon and frt for fish packing plants.

You could make a fine ocean going house boat that has lots of room and was seaworthy. Some reasonable considerations will be needed to adapt the more calm water house boat or canal cruiser to the salt. Either smaller windows or metal shutters that are stowable would be important, for example. Freeboard is often low on canal boats and deck wash not a big design concern. The same boat will need attention to these more seagoing matters if you were to use it regularly outside the breakwater.

In fact, if you could keep the displacement to 30 or 35k/lb. you could plane her with a couple of 200 hp engines. I'm not talking about 30 knts; but if the profile were kept fairly low there's no reason to doubt you could push such a boat to 15 knts.

Just sketching this design a bit in welded aluminum, she could be built low and mostly flat and be light enough to plane. Say 4' sides and a 18" walkaround, another 3' in cabin sides and a huge cabin roof and your wt is still very much within reason.

In a head sea she'd pitch so much you'd end up tacking into the weather but with a small V and some stubby keels along her bottom she'd track OK; especially if you gave her twins and spread them outboard. Needless to say her accomodation would be cavernous. I'd say with an after bridge raised a yard or so above the main cabin and the engine room beneath that raised structure you'd have a great coasting boat that would be extremely comfortable. If you kept her low and light enough to enjoy the advantages of the flat bottom's shoal draft (when light) then it would be very economical to run too.

Sounds like a fun project,
Cheers,
kmorin