Carvel planking

Thank you , will look for it.......

Scows are interesting , so simple , like sharpies , yet maybe not so simple to design ( well).

Are there any "general rules about L/B ratios , free board etc?

 

General rules are design the barge for the job, which means L/B ratio, displacement and freeboard are tailored to the waters and cargo intended. Very different a 300' tow barge loaded 75' high with containers and dump trucks going to Alaska, and an original narrow boat on a canal in UK. Both are dumb barges but wildly different.
In general, Length is 3-4 times beam, depth is 1/3 - 1/2 of beam, so 100'x30'x10' for a steel general use barge. Very vague guidelines. A crane barge might be 140'x70'x25'.
Deck important part of structure. Steel much superior for barge use over wood. Thames Barges are shaped boats, not very box-like.
Here are some places to look.
Pics from SAILING BARGES by F.G.G. Carr, London 1931,1951.
http://oldriverbillzumwalt.members.ktis.net/barges.htm
http://www.google.com/search?q=barg...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.dutch-barges.net/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK1PAqxWtyY
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/metal-boat-building/looking-small-steel-barge-plans-14151.html
http://www.boatsales-uk.com/canal_boat_designs.htm
http://bargesandworkboatsforsale.com/barge-designs/
http://www.simplywhitstable.com/marine_industries/thames_barges/tb_design.htm
etc.

 

Thank you Bataan !

There is quite some info here to look at!

 

You are welcome. Many years ago I was trained as a Maritime Museum researcher and am still pretty good at digging stuff up. The more info we have on a subject, the better decisions we will make, hopefully.