The forerunner of our dredges is the old Moddermolen (literally, mud mill) or Moddermolenschip used at Amsterdam since 1575.
The Zolderschuiten and the Schouwen, now called “Bakken”, may be mentioned as very old boats. Vessels of this sort were supplied, in 1829, with trap doors in the bottom, whence come Klepschouwen or Onderlossers (literally: boats discharging through the bottom).
Finally, it is proper to mention also, in the class of vessels under consideration, the pleasure boats, or sailing Yachts, for which the Boeierjacht (in South Holland) and the Tjotter (in Friesland) are used as Dutch types.
It is important to note here that pleasure boats are most generally called “Yachts”, even though these vessels have frequently no resemblance to the Yacht properly so called. Hence the name does not always mark the type.
V.
VESSELS FREQUENTING THE UPPER PARTS OF RIVERS (BOVENLANDERS).
All vessels which frequent the upper rivers are called generally “Bovenlanders” be their shape what it may.
These vessels, in spite of the interest which they offer, have rarely aroused attention; WITSEN devotes only a few words to them and calls them simply “Aaken” or “Samoreuzen” (p. 170, col. 2), and VAN YK also gives them this latter name (p. 318).
A) Boats of the Lower Rhine.
The Rhenish boats are of no uniform type. Those which frequent the lower part of the river (below Bonn) differ from those which circulate on the Upper Rhine and its tributaries, save for a small craft found on the Neckar which corresponds with the type below.
The fundamental type of the downstream section is represented by the Dorstensche Aak, and this latter has produced the Stevenschip.