What the heck is a barge?

A barge is a flat-bottomed, often engine-less boat designed for transporting heavy, bulk cargo along rivers, canals, and coastal waterways. Usually towed or pushed by tugboats, these wide, rectangular vessels are essential for moving goods like coal, grain, or iron ore in places too shallow or narrow for big ships.

What does barge in slang mean?

phrasal verb

barged in on; barging in on; barges in on. : to suddenly and rudely interrupt or disturb (something or someone)

What exactly is a barge?

The official definition of a barge is just that — a marine vessel that's primarily used to carry cargo. Barges don't have a motor or engine and don't move independently. Instead, they move with the help of a towboat or a tugboat.

What is a barge in the UK?

In the context of British inland waterways, a barge is usually a much wider, cargo-carrying boat or a modern boat modelled on one, certainly more than 7 feet (2.13 m) wide.

What's the difference between a narrowboat and a barge?

The main difference between a barge and a narrowboat is the size of the boat – more specifically, the width. Narrowboats typically have a beam (width) of between 6ft 10in – 7 ft, whereas a barge can typically be around twice the width – often around 14.5 ft.

Life on a barge

How do you empty the toilet on a canal boat?

Once it's full, we have drive the boat to a pump out station which is essentially a little shed on land connect a hose and quite literally vacuum out the waste since this was the first time driving the boat our new boating neighbours kindly helped us out and I'm quickly realising that life on the water is a lot ...

Why is it called a barge?

The word “barge” was first attested from 1300 and derived from the Latin “barga”. The word could refer to any small boat, whether it be used for pleasure or for commerce.

How do narrowboat toilets work?

Waste is stored in a removable cassette below the toilet, which you slide out and empty at an Elsan point. Some models have electric flush and even wheeled cassettes for easy transport. Many people who live on narrowboats use this system because of its simplicity and relatively low cost.

How much does it cost to live on a barge in the UK?

Cost: Ranges from £1,000 to £3,000 per year, depending on location and facilities provided. Continuous Cruising: Regulations: Requires moving the boat every 14 days to a new location, as stipulated by the Canal & River Trust (CRT). Cost: No permanent mooring fees, but short stays in certain locations may incur charges.

Why do sailors say ship instead of boat?

In the Age of Sail, “ship” was the name given to a specific type of vessel, one that was “ship-rigged”—having three or more masts, square-rigged on each mast. Even back then, however, it was not improper to call another large sailing vessel a ship, even if it wasn't actually ship-rigged.

Can you sleep on a barge?

Sleeping on a barge is definitely a unique adventure. By choosing to sleep on a barge, you are finally opting for a sustainable and environmentally-friendly form of tourism. Barges consume little energy and have a small ecological footprint.

What do people do on barges?

Sometimes, a captain also performs the duties of a pilot, while in other cases there is a separate job for a pilot. Other jobs on a barge include mates, engineers, deckhands, oilers, and chefs.

What fuel do barges run on?

Maritime vessels use bunker fuel to power their motors, but depending on your vessel, it might not be regular white diesel. Some watercraft indeed use diesel and other, larger vessels use marine gas oil (which is considered a low-sulfur fuel oil or LSFO) as their source of bunker fuel.

Is barge in rude?

What makes him think he can barge in here [=enter suddenly and rudely] like that?

What does barge in literally mean?

Enter rudely or abruptly, intrude.

Do you pay council tax when living on a barge?

Do you pay council tax if you live on a boat? Just living on a boat does not entitle you to pay council tax. If you're a continuous cruiser, and have no link to a mooring where you have a permanent right to return, you do not need to pay council tax.

Can you live permanently on a canal boat in the UK?

Residential mooring: You'll need a residential mooring (not just a leisure mooring) if you plan to live on the boat full-time, which can be hard to find and expensive. Licensing and insurance: The boat must be licensed (e.g. with the Canal & River Trust), insured, and have a Boat Safety Scheme certificate.

What are the drawbacks of narrowboat living?

Cons of Choosing a Canal Living Lifestyle

Life on a canal boat often means adjusting to a smaller space. With limited room for belongings, embracing a minimalist lifestyle is essential. Storage challenges can be a drawback, especially for those who find it hard to downsize or have larger families.

Where does poo go on a yacht?

When you flush a marine toilet, its contents are pumped out through a hole in the hull, directly into the sea (in the case of direct discharge) or into a holding tank if your boat is equipped with one.

How do you shower on a narrowboat?

Most hire boats have a fitted shower, with a pump to drain the water out of the shower tray. There will be a pump switch that you should turn on when you start your shower. Some luxury narrowboats also have baths.

What if you have diarrhea in a composting toilet?

Yes, you can use the compost toilet when you have diarrhea. If that's the case, we recommend that you change the bags more often and add more cover material than usual to help bind the extra liquid. If the diarrhea is due to an illness, do not compost the solid waste.

What is a barge boy?

Barge Boys are young men, usually around the age of sixteen, who have chosen to leave their intentended profession (if they were apprenticed) and work as a rower for the trade barges (river cog ) that travel up and down network of rivers of the North and South Marches.

What is the lifespan of a barge?

The Average Useful Life of an Inland Barge

According to a report by the Ingram Barge Company, the average lifespan for dry hopper barges is 20-30 years, which is similar to the USDA estimate of 25-30 years for this type of barge.

What is a tongkang?

A tongkang is a boat used to carry goods along rivers and shores in Maritime Southeast Asia. One of the earliest written records of tongkangs is in the Malay Annals, which was composed no earlier than the 17th century. One passage mentions them being used by the Majapahit Empire during the 1350 attack on Singapura.