Bateau

A bateau is a shallow-draft, flat-bottomed boat which was used extensively across North America, especially in the colonial period and in the fur trade. It was traditionally pointed at both ends but came in a wide variety of sizes. The name derives from the French word, "bateau", which is simply the word for boat and the plural, bateaux, follows the French, an unusual construction for an English plural. In the southern United States, the term is still used to refer to flat bottomed boats, including those elsewhere called jon boats.

History

The French explorers of North America used bateaux as well as the native canoes and cartols. The boats' shallow draft worked well in rivers while its flat bottom profile allowed heavy loading of cargoes and provided stability. The smallest bateau required only one crewman, while larger ones required up to five and reach up to 45-58 feet (14-17.5 meters) in length. The largest bateaux could carry two to ten tons of cargo. Bateaux could mount a small sail although the flat bottom was not optimal for sailing. In military records, it is seen that the boats were propelled primarily by oars with one oar being used at the stern as a rudder.

Many types of bateaux were deployed by the colonial French and British militaries, with the largest capable of mounting small cannon or swivel guns. In the wilderness with many rivers but few bridges, bateaux were sometimes constructed, used, then purposely sunk to prevent the enemy from discovering them and using them to raid behind the passing army. Alternately, utilizing the stability of their flat bottoms, bateau could be strung together to form pontoon bridges, which are, therefore, sometimes known as "bateau bridges". Some British military bateau of the French and Indian War could haul twenty men or 12 barrels of supplies with a smaller crew. In the American Revolutionary War, an extant plan of the British Admiralty calls for bateau of 30 foot 4 inches (9.25 meters) in length, with a 6 feet 6 inches (2 m) beam and a depth of 2 feet 10 inches (0.86 m)." ["Bateaux and 'Battoe Men': An American Colonial Response to the Problem of Logistics in Mountain Warfare", http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/articles/bateau.htm, New York State Military Museum, accessed September 11, 2007]

Specific designs were developed to suit local conditions. Bateau were used as freight boats on canals in the northern U.S. until replaced by the larger canal boats in the early 1800s. James River bateau were large craft designed for hauling tobacco on Virginia's large rivers while Mohawk River bateau were smaller and of very shallow draft (and sometimes with awnings). ["The Batteau", http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/research_collections/research/history/three/bat3.html, New York State Museum, accessed September 11, 2007]

ee also

*Mackinaw boat
*Cumberland pontoons
*York boat

References

External links

* [http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/batteau/ Reconstructed Mohawk River bateau]
* [http://www.orbitals.com/pic/row03/index.html Military bateau reenactors]
* [http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/articles/bateau.htm Military bateau specifications]
* [http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/research_collections/research/history/three/bat3.html Mohawk River bateau]