Argosies (商船)

Other vessels sailed, equipped with cargo rigs instead of sailing rigs.

Cargo vessel dimensions (商船尺寸)

Pictures of M/V "Bertram Rickmers" taken in 1985.

The best way to appreciate the size of any watergoing vessel is to take a look once it is in the dry dock. This is because the underwater section usually cannot be seen if the vessel is afloat. The heavier its cargo, the less you see.

Motor vessel (M/V) "Bertram Rickmers", of Rickmers Line, 20 times as long (length overall) and 9 times as wide (beam) as S/Y "Kassiopeia", has a draft that is 10 times as large. The displacement of this general cargo vessel is a 5,000-fold of the displacement of our sailboat. There are even larger argosies, of course.

Top left: While the propeller may look similar to those fitted to pleasure crafts as ours, the dimensions are obviously completely different. In order to inspect the propeller of this general cargo vessel, a scaffold is required.

Top right: The rig of a general cargo vessel is no less complex than for sailing ships with several masts, e.g. windjammers. Can you see the forest for the trees?

Bottom middle: A view from the front. The underwater section is the section below the section painted in red, and it is being redone in the dock because it cannot be done by the crew while the vessel is afloat.

Below: Barges delivering goods and provisions, moored to the ship.