Durham Boat
Encyclopedia
The Durham boat was a large wooden boat
produced by the Durham Boat Company of Durham
, Pennsylvania
, starting in 1750. They were designed by company owner Robert Durham to navigate the Delaware River
and thus transport the products produced by the Durham Forges and Durham Mills to Trenton, New Jersey
and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
of 3.5 inches (88.9 mm) when light and 28 inches (711.2 mm) when fully loaded.
Since both ends were tapered, either end could serve as the bow of the boat since the heavy steering gear, called a "sweep." could be shifted to either end. As a result, the boat could go in either direction depending on the placement of the steering sweep and the movement of the poles or oars.
s while traveling downstream and two tons while traveling upstream. Thus they could carry 150 barrels (23.8 m³) of flour or 600 bushel
s of corn. It took three or four men, plus a steersman, to operate the boats. Moving downstream they used 12 feet (3.7 m) to 18 feet (5.5 m) long "setting poles" mainly for steering and when moving upstream they used these poles to push the boats upriver. The crew walked back and forth on "walking boards" built into the sides of the boats. Some were later fitted for the use of oars.
( the Attack of Trenton.)
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
produced by the Durham Boat Company of Durham
Durham Township, Pennsylvania
Durham Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,144 at the 2010 census. It was first organised in 1775 and is located in the extreme North-east of Bucks County...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, starting in 1750. They were designed by company owner Robert Durham to navigate the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
and thus transport the products produced by the Durham Forges and Durham Mills to Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
.
Construction
They were flatbottomed boats -- provided with keels -- with high vertical side which ran parallel to each other up to a point 12 to 14 feet (4.3 m) from the boat's ends, where they then tapered. The boats were constructed of 1.25 inches (31.8 mm) thick planks and measured up to 60 feet (18.3 m) long by 8 feet (2.4 m) wide by 42 inches (1,066.8 mm) deep. They displaced a draftDraft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 3.5 inches (88.9 mm) when light and 28 inches (711.2 mm) when fully loaded.
Since both ends were tapered, either end could serve as the bow of the boat since the heavy steering gear, called a "sweep." could be shifted to either end. As a result, the boat could go in either direction depending on the placement of the steering sweep and the movement of the poles or oars.
Capability
They were designed to be able to carry a maximum load of 17 tonTon
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s while traveling downstream and two tons while traveling upstream. Thus they could carry 150 barrels (23.8 m³) of flour or 600 bushel
Bushel
A bushel is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent in each of these systems to 4 pecks or 8 gallons. It is used for volumes of dry commodities , most often in agriculture...
s of corn. It took three or four men, plus a steersman, to operate the boats. Moving downstream they used 12 feet (3.7 m) to 18 feet (5.5 m) long "setting poles" mainly for steering and when moving upstream they used these poles to push the boats upriver. The crew walked back and forth on "walking boards" built into the sides of the boats. Some were later fitted for the use of oars.
Historical use
These boats are most famous for their use in George Washington's crossing of the Delaware during the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
( the Attack of Trenton.)