Dam runner (Damloper)

[Anatol]

Damloper is a collective name for various 16th- and 17th-century ship types. They had to be suitable for use on a sloop . Therefore, the ships had to have a fairly wide bottom that, viewed athwartships, was completely or almost flat. Their size ranged from very small (3 m) to small vessels of between 20 and 30 tons (approximately 12 m).
It was certainly common practice at that time to designate ships as large or small, based on their purpose or special characteristics. This can cause confusion when classifying ships by type.
Various ships of different sizes met the requirements for use as dam runners in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Because of the desire of users for shallow-draft boats for inland waters or boats that could run aground on tidal waters, these were precisely the type of boats suitable for use with a sluice gate.
Types such as the aak , punter and bok are some examples of inland vessels, and the hengst hoogaars and the haringschuit of the Zuiderzee are examples of tidal water (fishing) boats.
Due to the growing trade at that time and the rise of the first industrial zones ( Zaanstreek ) and larger port cities, existing types were gratefully used for trade and passenger transport to those areas, if a ferry had to be taken along the way.
The overtoom remained in use for a long time, because, especially in smaller polders, it was not worthwhile to create another form of watershed (height difference).
Nederland 2025; 1,0.
Source: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damloper.