Storage on Narrow Boats
Narrow boats, although used mostly for leisure and occasionally as homes these days, were first developed as commercial transport vehicles from the 18th century onwards. Their design enabled them to be used on the extensive canal network in Britain and they were used for the storage and carriage of goods and raw materials around the country. For instance, clay from Derbyshire was taken by narrow boat to the nearby Potteries area of Stoke-on-Trent to be used in the manufacturing of their world famous pottery.
Narrow boats, on occasion, were constructed along similar lines to the much wider river barges. In spite of the similarities, it is erroneous to call a narrow boat a barge.
Until the early 20th century narrow boats were horse drawn, but with the advent of diesel or steam engines, this practice became a thing of the past. The other advantage of powered narrow boats was that they could be used to tow an unpowered boat behind them. This meant that twice the amount of goods or produce could be transported without having to double the number of crew. However the use of narrow boats for the storage and transport of cargo was already dying out.
Narrow boats, nowadays, are utilised to take holidays in and sometimes as permanent homes. Some narrow boat owners use them as a way of making money by offering trips along a canal in them or renting them out. When the weather is favourable, this can be a novel and pleasant day out.
Tags: secure storage, storage, storage and transport, storage system