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 “eenvaren” were boats handled by a single boatman, and the
“hekbooten” were boats which had a square stern.
These few denominations suffice to prove that, even at so early a
period, there were different kinds of boats and that alongside of the
“cog” there were other vessels of smaller size.
In the beginning, the “cog” was guided by oars, as were other ships;
this method was abandoned gradually in the XIIIth century and the
steering oar gave place to the rudder.
It is not possible to determine, for Holland, the time when this change
occurred; the various coats of arms of Amsterdam can throw no light on
this subject. The ship, on many of them, has no rudder, symbolical,
doubtless of the fact that people could sail for all parts of the globe
(~Witsen~, p. 634), and that vessels started from Amsterdam bound to
all the countries upon earth.
It is to be assumed, nevertheless, that it was also in the XIIIth
century that the rudder was introduced into Holland. Some persons have
tried to make out that there was a certain connection between the
adoption of the compass and that of the rudder; this latter became
forced, they say, when, thanks to the compass, more and more distant
expeditions could be undertaken.
For my part, I do not think that there can be the slightest connection
between the two events; the Norsemen, in fact, crossed the North Sea
before the rudder was known.
The oldest reproductions of the “cog”, however primitive they may be,
have a mast with the sails and rigging of the boat at the centre. I
know of no reproduction showing oars. Hence it can be deduced that the
sails and rigging formed the main outfit and that the oars, of which
the number, even on the largest “cogs”, was limited to a maximum of 32,
or 16 on each side, were used only in calm weather. This is what is
done at the present time for vessels of less importance, such as the
“hoys”.
Hence the oars were only an accessory, the reverse of what was seen for
the galleys, where the oars were the main feature and the sails and
rigging were secondary. That is why, contrary to what is seen for the
“cog”, no reproduction of a galley without oars has been met with.
It is therefore wrong that the name of galleys should be given
sometimes to “cogs”. The former were never implanted in the
Netherlands, Mr. de Jonge has already pointed out the inaccuracy of the
passage of the Annexes of _Wagenaar_, vol. 3, p. 50, where that author
relates that the eleven hundred ships sent against Antwerp by Count
William III were almost exclusively galleys.
However, there is a question of galleys in the history of the
Netherlands; but it is not a question of the Mediterranean type. Their
number was limited and they were used only on rivers.
[Sidenote: II 145]
An engraving which dates from about the year 1600, and shows the
Scheldt in front of Antwerp, as well as a view of Gouda, shows boats of
this kind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account