Pleasure barge

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

A pleasure barge is a flat-bottomed, slow-moving

festivities
, or viewing scenery.

History

Shallop for ceremonial use on the River Thames at Kingston upon Thames

Barges of all kinds were commonly used on the

Ptolemaic Egypt when she arrived in luxurious state to seduce Mark Antony and also allegedly when she sailed up the Nile with Julius Caesar
.

11th-century Chinese writer

jewelry
.

Wealthy states which relied on water trade sometimes developed barges specifically linked to the ruling class. A painting by Jan van de Cappelle from 1650 depicts the state barge of the Netherlands being saluted by gun blasts from battle ships.

The

Marriage of the Sea
.

The Grand Canal de Versailles at Versailles served as a setting for elaborate play barges in the 17th and 18th centuries. The gilded goddess figurehead from Marie Antoinette's barge survives, and Napoleon commissioned a ceremonial barge for his official visit to the port of Brest in 1810. The latter is at the French Musée national de la Marine.

Until the middle of the 19th century, pleasure barges were common sights on the

livery companies
competed as to the luxury of their state barges.

Up the river at Oxford, where a stretch of the Thames is known as

Wadham College
barge.

Today

Ceremonial barges are sometimes used in historical reenactments and wedding ceremonies in Polynesia.

Religious ceremonies are still conducted aboard barges in the Royal Barge Procession of Thailand. The royal barge is rowed by fifty oarsmen, steered by two steersmen, and commanded by two officers. The crew is rounded out by a flagman, a chantman, and a signalman. Bangkok has a museum devoted entirely to royal barges.

Barges built to provide people with scenic trips down rivers developed along with the growing middle class in Europe and the United States. Modern pleasure barges, such as those that travel the wine regions of France, can include such amenities as DVD players, exercise equipment, onboard kitchens and water closets, skylit passenger cabins, spa pools and stereo systems. The luxury hotel barges of Europe are even crewed by a master chef and house keepers, and piloted by an experienced captain all of which live on board to care for the guests who are staying with them.[1] Most of these barges were originally built to be commercial barges carrying grain and coal along the rivers and canals. It is only in more recent times that they are being renovated to become today's modern pleasure barges.[2]

Art

The

crown
.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Home". gobarging.com.
  2. ^ "Ninemsn Encarta - Barge". Archived from the original on 2004-11-27. Retrieved 2009-10-06.