Shipbuilding from its beginnings. Vol. 1 (of 3)Konijnenburg, E. van (Emile)
History
Shipbuilding from its beginnings. Vol. 1 (of 3)
Konijnenburg, E. van (Emile)
Shipbuilding -- History; Ships -- History
The “Bush”, which appeared in the XVth century, remained the boat for
the herring fishery until the middle of the XIXth century, when it
disappeared entirely. If, in 1832, there were still 120 “Buizen” (78
at Vlaardingen, 18 at Maassluis, 1 at Delfshaven, 3 at Zwastewaal, 5
at Enkhuizen, 5 at De Rijp and 10 at Amsterdam, see ~Le Comte~, p.
46), they were, on the other hand, no longer mentioned in 1867, the
year when the French lugger was brought into service. The bush was
used exclusively in fishing for herring. When this latter failed, the
vessels were stripped and laid up. Although their forms were full, they
had a keel and sought safety in the different ports. These boats could
not be grounded. Toward the last they were about 22 metres long, 6
metres wide and 3 metres deep. The dimensions of these boats had also
increased gradually. (~Van Yk~ gives, p. 310, 7 Rhine feet as their
depth.)
The “Bushes” carried originally three masts, of which two could be
lowered and each of which carried a large sail. Later, at the end of
the XVIIth century, the rig was changed and made like that of the
“Howkers”. This change is shown on the old engravings. The “Bushes”
carried a “statie”.
THE “KWEE” AND THE “HOEKERBUIS”.
The dimensions of the “bushes” must have increased most at the end of
the XVIIIth or beginning of the XIXth century; the “statie” was then
suppressed and the fish tank appeared. The boats supplied with this
tank were called _Kwee_ according to ~Hoogendijk~ (p. 59). The “bush”
proper which was used exclusively for the herring fishery, had no fish
tank.
The “bush” which had a howker rig was also called a _Hoekerbuis_. What
~Hoogendijk~ tells about the origin of the _howker_, in his interesting
book on the “Grootvisscherij”, does not seem to be wholly exact.
According to him (p. 59) the “howker” is said to be descended from the
“Hoekerbuis” by the suppression of the “statie”. But, according to
~Witsen~ and ~Van Yk~, the howkers have existed from the earliest times
and, hence, long before the appearance of the “Hoekerbuis”.
The “howker” is met with as a contemporary of the “bush” from which it
differs quite a good deal in shape; the placing of the “howker” rig on
the “bush” proves that the former vessel was already in existence in
the time of the latter.
THE “HOEKER” (HOWKER).
[Sidenote: II 228]
[Sidenote: II 229]
[Sidenote: II 234]
[Sidenote: III 114]
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