Talk:Durham boat

message: Hi,
I was one of the captains of the "Endurance" from 1992 to about 2000.  The Endurance is a 50 foot Durham boat replica built for the 150th anniversary of the Rideau Canal which connects Ottawa to Kingston (Canada).  The Durham boat could also use a square sail on a mast that could easily be taken down (20 min) to go under the bridges.  Since the Durham boat has a flat bottom and no keel, it is very fast but quite difficult to control in high winds.  It will outrun most modern sail boats.  Our experience showed us that a 5 man crew (4 + captain) is the minimum crew size with this ship.  Polling is quite fast and effective when there is little water and rowing (facing forward and standing on the walking boards) is quite slow and painful especially if you are tall. It is true that these boats are famous for their use in Washington's crossing of the Delaware during the American Revolution.  Also, they were use by both the Canadian and American sides during the War of 1812. 
If you want pictures, video or more info on the Durham boat, call me in Montréal, Canada at 514-987-6253.
Nicolas Cadieux
:Does anyone know if this boat, the Endurance apparently built in 1984, still survives? I can find nothing online regarding it. Thanks. GullyWalker (talk) 13:50, 18 July 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: Found it, scrapped due to rot in 2006, except for the bow which is on display in the Rideau Canal Museum. 72.75.222.195 (talk) 18:25, 2 August 2016 (UTC)
thread_title: Comment

message: Interesting... You mention that this type of boat had no keel, but Christopher Ward notes that it did at the time used by the Continental Army. Perhaps the keel was done away with later as, according to your comments, the boat served a useful purpose for quite some time, including the War of 1812.
Also, carrying all that weight (17 tons or so) I would think a keel would be necessary to help distribute weight.
Also note: the original editor of this piece stated a three man crew, but Ward indicates five, four to pole and one to steer. With just three crew, this system of poling would be quite difficult. With four crew and a steersman, then two could walk each side and the steersman be at the steering post.Wikited (talk) 19:39, 10 April 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Interesting 

message: I don't have a citation handy, but Durham boats were also in regular use on the Niagara River. The Porter, Barton Company which owned a monopoly on the Niagara Falls portage from about 1796 until the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 used them to haul salt from Little Niagara (Fort Schlosser) to Black Rock on the route from Syracuse to Pittsburgh. I have seen a reference to a Durham boat built at the Black Rock shipyard circa 1810.
Also, this article does not mention their use on the St. Lawrence River. My understanding is that at some point, possibly at the start of construction of the Erie Canal, all the American Durhams on the Mohawk River moved to the St. Lawrence where they continued in use for some time. Interestly also, there was regular passenger service between Schenectady and Montreal by Durham boat for a time. GullyWalker (talk) 19:31, 10 April 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Another Comment 

message: I have done extensive research on Durham Boats, particularly their use in New York State, and in my opinion, this article as it stands now is relatively accurate and complete and provides a fairly good summary of what is known about Durham Boats. The two contemporary images included are, to my knowledge, the only contemporary images of Durham Boats that exist. No detailed description, plans or archaeological remains have been found. I am always interested in hearing if anyone comes across any additional information regarding Durham boats, particularly construction details. GullyWalker (talk) 15:06, 25 November 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Rewrite complete