THE RHINE.
As was seen in the general classification, the Rhenisch boats may be divided into two groups:
a) Those navigating the Rhine below Bonn;
b) Those navigating the Rhine, above Bonn, and its tributaries, with the exception of the Neckar, where is found a boat belonging to group a.
Group a includes:
1.—The Dorstensche Aak, so called from the town of Dorsten where these boats were frequently built. It is a long and narrow “ake” of which the bottom was continued all the way to the tip of the bow; the length was 6 to 7 times the beam and the hull was clinker built. The bow was full, the stern slender at the water line. The after deck included a poop deck, with a much curved tiller resting on a solid “luierwagen” (prop). The rudder was large and heavy. These boats had two masts. The cabin on the small boats was by the after mast; on the larger, there was a free space between the cabin and the mast. A dwelling was placed aft of the main mast and in the bow was a cabin for the servant. The hold was decked over with plane inclined hatch covers, which, formerly, were round. The “Dorstensche Aak” with round hatch covers was a “Samoreus”. Alongside of these latter there used to be akes with open holds called “Dorstsche Koolhaelders”. Although these boats were no fuller than the other akes they appeared, like all clinker built boats, more massive. They generally carried square sails on the main mast and fore-and-aft sails on the smaller. As a general rule, these boats reached us unfinished and it was only when the cargo (pots and other household utensils) was sold, that they were finished in our country.
2.—The Neckaraak (ake from the Neckar) was a small “Dorstenche Aak” of which the length was about 6½ times the breadth. These vessels were long and narrow and worked well. They had a characteristic cabin which, compared with the height of the boat, rose a great deal above the deck. They had, in addition to a main mast, a small one near the rudder. They carried no lee boards, but their rudder was like that of “Dorstensche Aak”.