A barge has a flat bottom, similar to a raft. The major rationale for this design is to increase cargo carrying capacity and allow for greater bulk to be transported and moved. Bulk materials include gravel, sand, and dirt.
Barges are usually constructed from wood, although some modern barges are also made from steel or aluminum. Wood is the most common material because it's affordable and easy to work with. A barge can also be made out of other materials such as concrete or plastic. Concrete barges are heavy and durable and are commonly used in construction projects. Plastic barges are light weight and look like wooden barges but are actually made from polyethylene or fiberglass.
Barges come in various sizes and shapes depending on their intended use. There are small bajaws which are used for recreational purposes and large container barges that transport containerships. Containers are the metal boxes that transport all kinds of products across the world - foods, chemicals, etc. They are usually loaded and unloaded by cranes or derricks.
Smaller barges are typically used for fishing or hunting while larger ones are suitable for commercial use. Some companies may hire a boat to transport their barge from place to place.
Meanwhile, a "barge" is a long, flat-bottomed vessel traditionally used to transport goods (and now, also people) through inland waterways. So, technically, a barge is a ship, but the key difference here is that barges seldom leave inland waterways or seaport areas. They are usually employed for transporting materials around lakes and rivers.
Barges were most commonly used in Europe and North America before the advent of trucks and railroads. Today they are used in developing countries where roads are lacking. Although they can be motorized, that option is not usually available when you need to move a large load.
In conclusion, yes, a barge is a ship. But it's more specific than that! It's a type of ship used for certain applications.
A barge is a shoal-draft flat-bottomed watercraft designed primarily for bulk cargo transport on rivers and canals. Barges may now be self-propelled, often using a slow-revving diesel engine and a large-diameter fixed-pitch propeller. Alternatively, "dumb barges" must be pulled or pushed by pusher boats. During World War II, gasoline engines were used instead.
Barges are generally between 18 and 30 feet long and 3 to 12 feet wide. They weigh approximately 2,000 pounds empty and can carry loads up to 20,000 pounds. Most have a single deck upon which the cargo is loaded and from which it is unloaded by crane or through hatches in the side of the vessel.
Barges are used for transporting coal, grain, gravel, oil rigs, pipe, steel, and other heavy materials. They usually cannot go into shallow waters or around obstacles. But they can travel at very high speeds when necessary. And because they are so stable, you don't need as much right-of-way when crossing streams or canal branches.
Barges are popular with farmers who use them to transport grain over fields. This reduces traffic on roads and helps avoid pollution caused by vehicles driving on dry stretches of road.
The term "barge" also refers to the cargo itself. A barge load is one ton (or measure). Two barge loads equal a tow.
Barge
A barge is a large, flat watercraft capable of transporting heavy cargo over water. Barge is also a verb that means both "move by barge" and "shove ahead," as in barging through the entrance of a crowded party or barging into your brother's room to harass him. The source is said to be the Greek baris, which means "Egyptian boat."
Barges were used for transportation purposes from early ancient times until about 1845, when they were being replaced by ships. Today, barges are used for recreational purposes as well as commercial ones. They can be either self-propelled or towed by a motorboat or ship.
Barges come in two main types: shallow-draught barges and deep-draught barges. Shallow-draught barges have their maximum draft (the distance between the surface of the water and the lowest point of their body) less than 18 inches (46 cm). Deep-draught barges have their maximum draft greater than 24 inches (61 cm). For example, a 30-inch (76 cm)-wide barge has a maximum draft of about 90 inches (230 cm). Generally, the deeper the draught, the larger the vessel needs to be to handle it. However, there are exceptions; for example, some small shallow-draught vessels are able to transport heavy loads due to their buoyant nature.
Each hull might be flat, although they are commonly circular or V-shaped. Multi-hulled boats are often the most costly to construct. The fundamental determinant of how the boat interacts with the water is the hull form, but actual boats also carry buildings and cargo above their decks.
The term "boat" is generally applied to vessels that are small enough to be propelled by oars, sails, or engines. Large boats are called ships, motorboats, yachts, etc.
Small boats are used for many purposes including transportation, fishing, and recreational activities. Bigger boats are usually used for commerce or military action.
The shape of a boat is determined by its hull. From simple to complex, the hull design can be flat, round, V-shaped, D-shaped, or even Y-shaped.
A flat boat has two surfaces that run parallel to the ground and two edges that connect these surfaces to each other. Because it has only two sides, it is easy to understand how you could walk across a flat boat without getting confused about which way was which.
A round boat has two surfaces that extend around the perimeter and three edges connecting them together. This type of boat is most common and includes things like canoes and kayaks. They are easy to navigate because you don't need to worry about left and right.
The distinction between a barge and a narrowboat as nouns is that a barge is a huge flat-bottomed towed or self-propelled boat used mostly for river and canal transit of heavy products or bulk cargo, whereas a narrowboat is a barge used on England's narrow canals. Narrowboats are usually from 18 to 22 feet (5 to 7 m) in length and generally have two decks: one above the other; they are therefore more like small boats than like barges.
Also called a "narrow gauge," this term refers to canals with inner width of about 20 feet (6 m). Most English canals are wider than this; some are as wide as 60 feet (18 m). Outside Britain, North America also has some 20-foot-wide (6 m) canals.
Narrow canals were originally dug out to transport coal downriver from the mines to market towns for sale. They provided an efficient means of transport but were only suitable for small cargoes because of their limited width. Larger ships could not pass each other so had to dock and unload their cargoes separately. This was time-consuming and expensive so later canals were dug out larger so they could carry bigger loads. Today, most British canals are 52 feet (16 m) wide, which is enough to allow large commercial vessels to pass.
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