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The tjalk is a historic Dutch single-masted sailing ship for transporting goods in the shallow coastal and inland waters of the Wadden Sea. In addition to their use in coastal shipping, tjalken were also frequently used, until the 20th century, exclusively as inland cargo ships. The tjalk has as its predecessor the bojer, a type of boat also Dutch. The term "tjalk" first appears in a Frisian document in 1673.
The tjalk are flat-bottomed boats, making them particularly suitable for sailing in shallow channels and tidal creeks, as well as for shallow water coastal travel. An additional advantage of the flat bottom is that these boats, when stranded at low tides, dry in a vertical position, thus resting the entire hull on the ground without tilting laterally, as boats with keels do. When the water rises, flat-bottomed boats automatically float back upright with the rising tide.
A disadvantage of keelless flat-bottom hulls is their lower stability against crosswinds. Boats of this design are prone to rolling around the longitudinal axis of the hull and deviating from course. To reduce this, tjalken mount movable daggerboards located on both sides of the boat's hull. In the event of a crosswind, the lee daggerboard is set to stabilize the boat.
The rig of a tjalk consists of a large gaff mainsail mounted on a short peak and a long main boom, as well as a staysail and, optionally, a jib, which requires a bowsprit to be launched.
Along with the ewer, the tjalk was one of the most common ship types in northern Germany for regional coastal and inland shipping in the 19th century. By 1900 in northern Germany there were around 160 iron and 28 wooden tjalken. The iron tjalken, built exclusively in Dutch shipyards, were especially successful. In 1928, 128 iron tjalken, with an average carrying capacity of 140 t each, belonged to the German inland fleet.
Many tjalken are now used for tourism. For example, these boats are often rented in the ports around the IJsselmeer. There is usually a captain and an officer on board. Guests assist with navigation maneuvers under the direction of the officer. Until 2013 inclusive, an annual sailing regatta exclusively for this type of boat, the Tjalkenrace Medemblik, was held on the IJsselmeer, opposite the small town of Medemblik in northern Holland. Mostly original tjalken still exist under the German flag. and Dutch, which are used as traditional boats with the corresponding authorization, as evocative monuments of times past that invite you to navigate the Wadden Sea and its adjacent waters. In addition to the examples in use, some tjalken are floating museum ships, while others are displayed dry in museums on navigation and industrial culture.
The tjalk are flat-bottomed boats, making them particularly suitable for sailing in shallow channels and tidal creeks, as well as for shallow water coastal travel. An additional advantage of the flat bottom is that these boats, when stranded at low tides, dry in a vertical position, thus resting the entire hull on the ground without tilting laterally, as boats with keels do. When the water rises, flat-bottomed boats automatically float back upright with the rising tide.
A disadvantage of keelless flat-bottom hulls is their lower stability against crosswinds. Boats of this design are prone to rolling around the longitudinal axis of the hull and deviating from course. To reduce this, tjalken mount movable daggerboards located on both sides of the boat's hull. In the event of a crosswind, the lee daggerboard is set to stabilize the boat.
The rig of a tjalk consists of a large gaff mainsail mounted on a short peak and a long main boom, as well as a staysail and, optionally, a jib, which requires a bowsprit to be launched.
Along with the ewer, the tjalk was one of the most common ship types in northern Germany for regional coastal and inland shipping in the 19th century. By 1900 in northern Germany there were around 160 iron and 28 wooden tjalken. The iron tjalken, built exclusively in Dutch shipyards, were especially successful. In 1928, 128 iron tjalken, with an average carrying capacity of 140 t each, belonged to the German inland fleet.
Many tjalken are now used for tourism. For example, these boats are often rented in the ports around the IJsselmeer. There is usually a captain and an officer on board. Guests assist with navigation maneuvers under the direction of the officer. Until 2013 inclusive, an annual sailing regatta exclusively for this type of boat, the Tjalkenrace Medemblik, was held on the IJsselmeer, opposite the small town of Medemblik in northern Holland. Mostly original tjalken still exist under the German flag. and Dutch, which are used as traditional boats with the corresponding authorization, as evocative monuments of times past that invite you to navigate the Wadden Sea and its adjacent waters. In addition to the examples in use, some tjalken are floating museum ships, while others are displayed dry in museums on navigation and industrial culture.
