Riverboat

2025-08-13T06:08:45Z

174.228.100.205: /* Design differences */

{{Short description|Watercraft designed for inland navigation}}
{{For|the TV series|Riverboat (TV series){{!}}''Riverboat'' (TV series)}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2024}}
[[File:Riverboats Belgrade.jpg|thumbnail|Various service riverboats, [[Belgrade]]]]
[[Image:Wappen von Köln.JPG| thumb|Passenger tourboat of [[Köln-Düsseldorfer]] on the river [[Rhine]]]]
[[Image:Containerschiff Amistade-Nyks.jpg| thumb | A riverboat-"[[container ship]]" with the capacity for 500 [[intermodal container]]s of the [[twenty-foot equivalent units|TEU]] size.]]
[[Image:SteamboatBenCampbellb.jpg|right|thumb |A [[Mississippi River System]]-type riverboat, from an 1850s [[daguerrotype]].]]

A '''riverboat''' is a [[watercraft]] designed for [[inland navigation]] on [[lake]]s, [[river]]s, and artificial [[waterway]]s. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury units constructed for entertainment enterprises, such as lake or harbour [[tour boat]]s. As larger water craft, virtually all riverboats are especially designed and constructed, or alternatively, constructed with special-purpose features that optimize them as riverine or lake service craft, for instance, [[dredger]]s, survey boats, fisheries management craft, [[fireboat]]s and law enforcement patrol craft.

==Design differences==
Riverboats are usually less sturdy than ships built for the open seas, with limited navigational and rescue equipment, as they do not have to withstand the high winds or large waves characteristic to large lakes, seas or oceans. They can thus be built from light composite materials. They are limited in size by width and depth of the river as well as the height of bridges spanning the river. They can be designed with shallow [[draft (hull)|drafts]], as were the paddle wheel steamers on the [[Mississippi River]] that could operate in water under two metres deep.

While a [[ferry]] is often used to cross a river, a riverboat is used to travel along the course of the river, while carrying passengers or cargo, or both, for revenue. (Vessels like [[riverboat casino]]s are excepted, as they are essentially stationary.)

The significance of riverboats is dependent on the number of navigable rivers and [[channel (geography)|channel]]s as well as the condition of the [[road]] and [[Rail transport|rail]] network. Generally speaking, riverboats provide slow but cheap transport especially suited for [[bulk cargo]] and [[Intermodal container|containers]].

==History==
[[File:Riverboat with passengers, Japan, 1909.jpg|thumb|Riverboat with passengers, [[Japan]], 1909]]
As early as 20,000 BC people started fishing in rivers and lakes using [[raft]]s and [[dugout (boat)|dugouts]]. Roman sources dated 50 BC mention extensive transportation of goods and people on the river [[Rhine]]. Upstream, boats were usually powered by [[sail]]s or [[oars]]. In the Middle Ages, [[towpath]]s were built along most waterways to use [[working animals]] or people to pull riverboats. In the 19th century, [[steamboat]]s became common.

[[Image:RiverSternWheelerRedBluffModel.jpg|thumb|right|Model of an early 20th-century shallow draft stern wheel riverboat, the Upper [[Sacramento River]] steamer ''Red Bluff''.]]
The most [[Steamboats of the Mississippi|famous riverboats]] were on the rivers of the [[midwest]]ern and central [[Southern United States|southern]] [[United States]], on the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]], [[Ohio River|Ohio]] and [[Missouri River|Missouri]] rivers in the early 19th century. Out west, riverboats were common transportation on the [[Colorado River|Colorado]], [[Columbia River|Columbia]], and [[Sacramento River|Sacramento]] rivers. These American riverboats were designed to draw very little water, and in fact it was commonly said that they could "navigate on a heavy dew".<ref>"Boating on the Ohio". ''Machinery'', Lester Gray French, ed. Industrial Press, vol. 6, July 1900, p. 334.</ref>
[[File:Far West (steamship).jpg|thumb|left|The [[Far West (steamship)|''Far West'']] went down in history for various reasons, such as providing transportation for the Custer expedition at the Little Big Horn. The boat was commanded by the famous Missouri River captain [[Grant Marsh]].]]

Australia has a history of riverboats. Australia's biggest river, the [[Murray River|Murray]], has an inland port called [[Echuca, Victoria|Echuca]]. Many large riverboats were working on the Murray, but now a lower water level is stopping them. The [[Kalgan River]] in Western Australia has had two main riverboats, the ''Silver Star'', 1918 to 1935, would lower her funnel to get under the low bridge. Today, the ''Kalgan Queen'' riverboat takes tourists up the river to taste the local wines. She lowers her roof to get under the same bridge.

It is these early steam-driven river craft that typically come to mind{{dubious|date=December 2020}} when "[[Steamboat#River steamboats|steamboat]]" is mentioned, as these were powered by burning wood, with iron boilers drafted by a pair of tall smokestacks belching smoke and cinders, and twin double-acting pistons driving a large paddlewheel at the stern, churning foam. This type of propulsion was an advantage as a rear paddlewheel operates in an area clear of snags, is easily repaired, and is not likely to suffer damage in a grounding. By burning wood, the boat could consume fuel provided by woodcutters along the shore of the river. These early boats carried a brow (a short bridge) on the bow, so they could head in to an unimproved shore for transfer of cargo and passengers.

Modern riverboats are generally [[Propeller|screw (propeller)]]-driven, with pairs of [[diesel engine]]s of several thousand horsepower.

The standard reference for the development of the steamboat is ''Steamboats on Western Rivers: An Economic and Technological History'' by [[Louis C. Hunter]] (1949).<ref name = "Hunter 1949">
{{cite book
|title=Steamboats on Western Rivers: An economic and Technological History
|last=Hunter
|first= Louis C.
|author2=Bryant, Lynwood
|year=1949
}}
</ref>

[[Terrace, British Columbia]], Canada, celebrates "Riverboat Days" each summer. The [[Skeena River]] passes through Terrace and played a crucial role during the age of the steamboat. The first steam-powered vessel to enter the Skeena was the ''Union'' in 1864. In 1866 the ''Mumford'' attempted to ascend the river but was only able to reach the [[Kitsumkalum River]]. It was not until 1891 that the Hudson's Bay Company sternwheeler the ''Caledonia'' successfully negotiated through the [[Kitselas Canyon]] and reached [[Hazelton, British Columbia|Hazelton]]. A number of other steamers were built around the turn of the century, in part due to the growing [[fish industry]] and the [[gold rush]].<ref name=normabennett>''Pioneer Legacy - Chronicles of the Lower Skeena River - Volume 1'', Norma V. Bennett, 1997, {{ISBN|0-9683026-0-2}}</ref>

The ''[[WT Preston]]'', a [[museum ship]] that was once a specialised river [[dredge]], also called a "snagboat".

==Modern riverboats==

===Luxury tourist transport===
Some large riverboats are comparable in accommodation, food service, and entertainment to a modern oceanic [[cruise ship]]. Tourist boats provide a scenic and relaxing trip through the segment they operate in.

On the Yangtze River, typically employees have double duties: both as serving staff and as evening-costumed dancers.

<gallery caption="Tourist riverboats" mode=packed>
Image:MVSplendidChina.jpg|A riverboat on the [[Yangtze]]
Image:Wilriver.jpg|A riverboat on the [[Willamette River]], Oregon
File:BelleOfLouisville.jpg|''[[Belle of Louisville]]''
File:American queen.jpg|''[[American Queen]]''
File:RiverboatNatchez.jpg|''[[Natchez (boat)|Natchez]]''
File:The Delta King paddlewheel sternwheel steamboat anchored beneath the Old Sacramento section of downtown Sacramento, California's capital city LCCN2013630969.tif|The ''[[Delta King]]'' is in use as a floating restaurant/hotel in Old Town Sacramento, California
File:Delta Queen trip 11-2007 022.jpg|The ''[[Delta Queen]]'' is a sister boat to the ''[[Delta King]].''
</gallery>

Smaller luxury craft (without entertainment) operate on European waterways - both rivers and canals, with some providing bicycle and van side trips to smaller villages.

===High-speed passenger transport===

[[File:YangtzeMeteor.jpg|thumb|High-speed [[planing (sailing)|planing]] and [[hydrofoil]] riverboats]]
High-speed boats such as those shown here had a special advantage in some operations in the free-running Yangtze. In several locations within the [[Three Gorges]], one-way travel was enforced through fast [[narrows]]. While less maneuverable and deeper draft vessels were obliged to wait for clearance, these high-speed boats were free to zip past waiting traffic by running in the shallows.

===Local and low-cost passenger transport===

Smaller riverboats are used in urban and suburban areas for sightseeing and public transport. Sightseeing boats can be found in Amsterdam, Paris, and other touristic cities where historical monuments are located near water.

The concept of local waterborn public transport is known as [[water taxi]] in English-speaking countries, [[vaporetto]] in Venice, water/river tramway in [[former Soviet Union]] and Poland (although sightseeing boats can be called water tramways too). Local waterborne public transport is similar to ferry.

The transport craft shown below is used for short-distance carriage of passengers between villages and small cities along the Yangtze, while larger craft are used for low-cost carriage over longer distance, without the fancy food or shows seen on the tourist riverboats. In some cases, the traveller must provide their own food.

<gallery caption="Passenger Transport Ships" mode=packed>
Image:Van Gogh boat.JPG|Sightseeing boat in Amsterdam
Image:Moskvich M236(2).jpg|River tramway [[Moskvitch (ship)|Moskvitch]] in Moscow
Image:NY_Water_Taxi_East_River.jpg|[[New York Water Taxi]]
Image:Venice Vaporetto.jpg|[[Vaporetto]] in Venice
Image:PracticalRiverTransport.jpg|Low-cost transport in China
</gallery>

===Goods transport===

====Multimodal====

As the major rivers in China are mostly east-west, most rail and road transport are typically north-south. As roads along the rivers are inadequate for heavy truck transport and in some cases extremely dangerous, [[drive-on/drive-off]] ramp barges are used to transport trucks. In many cases the trucks transported are new and are being delivered to customers or dealers. Perhaps unique to China, the new trucks observed traveling upstream were all blue, while the new trucks traveling downstream were all white.

====Bulk cargo====
Low-value goods are transported on rivers and canals worldwide, since slow-speed barge traffic offers the lowest possible cost per ton mile and the capital cost per ton carried is also quite low compared to other modes of transport.

<gallery caption="Cargo Ships" mode=packed>
Image:CargoRiverboat.jpg|Cargo riverboat
Image:River boat cargo.jpg|Riverboat used for bulk cargo transport
Image:Sternwheeler Inlander.jpg|SS ''Inlander'' on the [[Skeena River]] at [[Kitselas Canyon]], 1911
</gallery>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=23em}}
*[[Barge]]
*[[Chain boat]]
*''[[Life on the Mississippi]]''
*[[Ferry]]boat
*[[Fireboat]]
*[[Charles T. Hinde]], a riverboat captain in the 1800s.
*[[Hydrofoil]]
*[[Keelboat]]
*[[List of steamboats on the Columbia River]]
*[[McKenzie River dory]]
*[[Murray-Darling steamboats]]
*[[Narrowboat]]
*[[P.A. Denny (ship)|''P.A. Denny'' (ship)]]
*[[Paddle steamer]]
*[[River cruise]]
*[[Sampan]]
*[[Shitik]]
*[[Steamboat]]
*[[Steamboats of the Mississippi]]
*[[Steamboats of the Columbia River]]
*[[Steamboats of the upper Columbia and Kootenay Rivers]]
*[[Steamboats of the Willamette River]]
*[[Tourist sternwheelers of Oregon]]
*[[Towboat]]
*[[Tugboat]]
*[[Frederick Way Jr.]]
*[[Lewis and Clark's keelboat]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Commons category|Riverboats}}
* Crump, Thomas, ''Abraham Lincoln's World: How Riverboats, Railroads, and Republicans Transformed America.'' (New York: Continuum, 2009) 272 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-84725-057-5}}.
* Nolan, John Matthew. ''2,543 Days: A History of the Hotel at the Grand Rapids Dam on the Wabash River''
*{{cite book | title=A riverman's lexicon : in Lehman's terms | publisher=J.R. Simpson & Associates | author=Lehman, Charles F. | year=2009 | location=Florissant, Mo. | isbn=978-0-9841503-0-4}} Nautical terminology specific to towboating and inland waterways.
*{{cite book
|title=Life on the Mississippi
|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924022606317
|last=Twain
|first= Mark
|year= 1883
|publisher=Boston, J. R. Osgood
}}
{{ModernMerchantShipTypes}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Boat types]]
[[Category:Riverboats| ]]

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Riverboat