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Gabarre Boats – Gabarres

photo_2_gabarre
 
The gabarre flat-bottomed boat, from the Greek karabos meaning shell, refers to several types of river boats in various places along the Atlantic seaboard. Their flat bottom means that with a shallow draught, they can transport a maximum load. The ones on the Loire Valley often have rigging as well. They are made of clapboard, that is, overlapping planks joined with wooden pegs.
Le terme gabarre ou gabare ou gabarros (du grec karabos, coquille) désigne plusieurs types de bateaux fluviaux sur la façade atlantique. Leur fond plat appelé « sole » permet, avec un faible tirant d’eau, de porter un maximum de charge. Celles de la Loire sont souvent gréées. Elles sont construites à clins, c’est-à-dire que les planches qui constituent la coque se chevauchent et sont chevillées par des pièces de bois.

8 replies on “Gabarre Boats – Gabarres”

Yes, it’s my favourite as well. I think I should actually call them flat-bottomed boats rather than barges because some of the companies that run river trips use the term for larger, modern barges.

[…] To our great delight, it is now possible to cross the Loire at Cour-sur-Loire 8 km from Blois and join the cycle route on the other side of the river that goes to Château de Chambord. We tried it out today for the first time. As you  can see, the weather was perfect. It costs 2 euros per person (bike included) with depatures every hour from 11 am to 6 pm. It takes about 20 minutes. The boat was built in the same style as the traditional flat-bottomed “gabarres“. […]

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