Double Dutch - will bigger be better?

If it's wider than a narrowboat, is it a Dutch barge? We look at the, often Continental-inspired, wider boats populating the waterways and get to grips with the lingo.

A luxemotor.

The phrase ‘Dutch barge’ has become synonymous with elegant wide-beam craft. Yet there are some 40 genuine Dutch designs – never mind the countless other wide-beam craft often lumped in with them. Which one would you choose?

Luxemotor

This is the most common Dutch barge style. When introduced, between the wars, they were among the first designs of motorised craft: barges had previously been sailed or hauled. They had more generous and comfortable passenger accommodation at the stern. Hence the two words: ‘luxe’ and ‘motor’.

A modern-day luxemotor follows the same general design, but with living accommodation instead of the cargo hold – purpose-built for a new craft, or converted from a historic carrying craft. The luxemotor is notable for its attractive lines, with a pointed, angular bow, gently sweeping gunwales (sides) with a slight dip, and a curvaceous stern sometimes referred to as a ‘duck tail’.

New-build luxemotors can be as short as 35ft – a far cry from the maximum-ca…