 A December 25, 2007 photo of Durham boats used in reenactment of George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River on December 25 and 26, 1776
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | various |
| Operators | commercial freight haulers |
| In service | c. 1750 - c. 1830 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Durham boat |
| Length | 40 ft (12 m) to 60 ft (18 m) |
| Beam | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Draught | up to 2 ft (0.61 m) when loaded |
| Propulsion | setting poles, oars or sails |
| Speed | varied |
| Capacity | 12 to 18 tons while traveling downstream and two tons while traveling upstream |
| Complement | two to four crew, plus steersman |
| Armament | none |
| Notes | built to ferry freight on interior waterways of North America during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries |
The Durham boat was a large wooden, flat-bottomed, double-ended freight boat used on interior waterways in North America beginning in the middle of the 18th century. They were replaced by larger, more efficient canal boats during the canal era beginning with the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825.
The Durham name became associated with this boat type due to their use by Durham Ironworks, based in Durham Township, Pennsylvania, which used them to haul freight on the Delaware River.[1] They are also noted for their use in George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River on December 25 and 26, 1776 during the American Revolutionary War.