History

Canal du Midi

bateau ponté
L = 26,50 à 27 m
width = 5,3 à 5,4 m
Tunnage = 120 à 130 Tonnes

This type of boat makes up the greater part of the trade fleet on the Canal du Midi.

Gabarres

bateau ponté
L 20m
l 5 à 6 m
T 50 à 60 tonnes

This boat was specialized in the transport of half -hogsheads in the port of Sete and its region.

Sapine

L 29 à 29, 5 m
l 5, 30 à 5, 40 m
T 145 à 170 tonnes

Frequent boat navigating on the canal lateral to the Garonne.

Sapine scheme

Sapinettes

L 23 m
l 4, 50 m
t 50 à 60 tonnes

Ponds and waterways small crafts transported all kind of merchandises.Some were equiped with small keels for sea navigation.

Coutrillon

Made out of wood and flat-bottomed the coutrillon's differences with the sapine are the squareness, the longish stern and the rounded sides.

Sapines and Coutrillons were waterways boats. The seafaring boat was a small boat with a horizontal keel and a classic lateen sail.

Coutrillon scheme

Boatmen :

Name given to the boat owners on the canal du Midi.

Bargee

Name used in the northern waterways and given to the Canal du midi barge workmen.

Musée de la Batellerie
place Jules Gevelot
78700 Conflans Saint-Honorine
France
tél.: 01 39 72 58 05