Neither the name of “Snik” nor that of “Bok” is known in Groningen, but there is in this region a boat of the same kind, with its bow and stern a little fuller than those of the “Bok ”. It is the Groningen aardappelpraam (Groningen potato pram) already met with. Like the three preceding boats, its bends have a slight sheer. Its full bow and stern differentiate it from the “Overijsselsche pramen”.
If we leave the Haarlem lake, passing by Leiden, that is to say: if we cross the country of the downs going toward the West, we meet everywhere a type of boat which, while smaller, is still shaped like the “bokken”. This type as the “Westlander” (boat of the West) is its representative.
THE “WESTLANDER”.
This boat has a sharply raking and slightly curved stem. It rises but little above the water so as to be able to pass under the bridges. It can use sails but, most of the time, it is moved ahead by means of a boathook. The boat is decked over with flat and horizontal hatch covers. Considering the relatively low position of the tiller, these boats, like the preceding, have a “stuurbak” (a cockpit in the deck where the helmsman stands). The top plank is strengthened so as to act as a bend. If this element be lacking, which is frequently the case with the small boats of this class, they are also called “Bok”, but this must not be confounded with the big Frisian “Bok” mentioned above. “Westlanders” are often used for levelling off the downs; they are well known at the Hague.
THE KAAG.
[II 182]
[II 184]
[II 185]
[III 71]
In the XVIIth century, there was met with, to the North of Leyden, along the Haarlem lake and in that part of North Holland lying North of the line Aalsmeer-Muiden, a boat then currently called “Kaag” (Kage or Kaghe), of which WITSEN gives a good reproduction in his work (p. 174). This boat differed from the preceding types by the greater elevation of the bow and by the drawing together of the upper planking, which make it resemble the fishing boat, called the “Hoogaars”. Like this last, it had a broad bow, but the stern, on the other hand, is more narrowed. The stem was straight but with a marked rake. The mast is at one-third the length from the bow; it is rigged with a sprit sail. This boat no longer exists now, but, on the other hand, a boat with a smooth hull is met with which resembles it and is now called the “Snik” or “Gondel”. It is, however, less angular and has a square stern, which, as every where else, appeared later. It is probable that it is the old “Kaag” which is again found in this class of boats and which is often used to-day. The ratio of length to beam is the same for both vessels.
On the tidal rivers of Holland, there is found, as a small boat, the Kinderdijksche Hoogaars which resembles the old kaag perfectly. Then, there is met with among the islands of South Holland, a boat with a smooth hull, the “Beyerlandsche Schuitje” which is an “ake” if its bottom which rises right up to the extreme point of the bow be considered; it is probably not a very old type. Its affiliation with the preceding boats can still be easily observed. This boat is 9 m. long, 2.75 m. beam and 1.30 m. deep. The mast is from a quarter to a third of the length from the bow.
The “Beyerlandsche Schuit” corresponds fully to the fishing boat called the “Tholensche Schouw”.