Aak

An Aak (pl. aken) is originally born as a large sailing barge with no stempost for use on the inland waters and large rivers. Before adding an engine many of them used an Opduwer (a small motor boat) to be pushed on canals.

Mixing a Klipper and a Tjalk with an Aak shape originated a distinct type known as Klipperaak. When an Aak has the bow of a motorbarge it's called steilsteven.

Hull

An Aak has a flat bottom bent at the sides, with chines and prow becoming progressively narrower and more angular. After the passage from wood to iron construction the chines became rounder; the angle to the prow got fuller. A contemporary engine propelled implementation of this hull type is the giant Rijnaak, which is used on the commercial routes of the Rhine.

The basic shape of the Aak can also be met in the duwbaks (small boats that are still used on dutch channels).

History

The term Aak originates from a medieval push-boat called hulk. It was used to carry large quantities of freight, what is called now bulk transport. Thanks to its long narrow shape and its broad rudder it could float downstream and it could be dragged upstream. A short firm mast was placed on the deck to attach the ropes for dragging it. In 16th and 17th century their use was much spread and they were largely built in the German-speaking areas, in which they were known as keen.

As a fisherman ship from Zuiderzee and Wadden the denomination of Aak first appears in 1798, but it was not what we now call an Aak, yet. Those boats had a different hull, and were mostly a mix of a schokker and round bottomed Friese ships like the boeier.

Aak types

• Hevelaak: built without a stempost, using a broad, flat, plate to do the job.
• Stevenaak: built with a stempost

Bibliography

• The Dutch Barge Book, David Evershed (available at the DBA bookstore)
• Bemastung und Takelung von Schiffen des 18. Jarhunderts, Karl Heinz Marquardt

External sites

• A Barge Spotters Guide
• Dutch wikipedia Aak article