Durran Barge

Whilst much of the River Durran is navigable by the smaller seagoing craft they suffer from two problems - difficulty in the use of sail power in the narrow waters of the river and the struggle against the current, which though not as fast as many is enough to make rowing a cargo vessel upstream a challenging and thankless task.
The Durran Barge has developed in response to these two factors. It is long an narrow (perhaps 25 strides by 2) to reduce the resistance from the current when moving upstream and moved primarily by towing. It is not generally a seaworthy vessel, but some can be rigged with masts and sails and used in light seas if their cargo is well secured and covered. When in this form, their descent from the Stormboat is readily apparent.

Propulsion

Most usually towed from a towpath running alongside the river, the Durran Barge is also maneuvred by punting with several crew members weilding poles four times their height. This is usually done to align the boat for mooring or to turn it - it is not suited to propelling over distance but some boatmen will do th downstream leg drifting with the current and using the poles to maneuver the boat and keep it pointing down stream.
When rigged with a sail the Durran Barge is not the best sailing vessel but with th wind in the right direction it can be a useful aide and in gentle to moderate breezes the Durran Barge is a competent coastal vessel, though most (aside from those build in the region at the river's mouth) are not strongly built enough to handle heavier seas.
For towing they have a bowpost, similar to a short mast, mounted just behind the bow and strongly braced to the keel and frame. This rises about a man's height above the waterline and is the point where the tow line is attached, high enough to keep it out of the water, to allow small craft to pass underneath it and to avoid tangling in undergrowth etc. The use of these tow lines means that use of the river has been standardised with vessels holding to the left.

Weapons & Armament

Although side arms may be carried by the crew the vessels are intended for inland commerce where weapons and defence are seldom needed. Piracy on the river is almost unheard of though robbery from boats is a problem in some of the riverside towns.

Crew & Accommodation

A typical Durran Barge will have crew of two - enough to manage it in transit and to maneuvre it to dock but not enough to load or unload it or to manage it under sail. They normally live in a short cabin mounted at the back of the vessel but some vessels have no cabins - so called "blind boats" where the crew will pitch tents or sleep rough among the cargo.
Where the barge has a cabin this will often be ornately and colourfully decorated with idealised landscapes and geometric patterns and despite the cramped conditions in which they live, the barge based boatmen take great pride in their appearance.
Where two barges are being towed as a pair, a third crew member is needed to manage the steering of the second barge, though when the tow is hired (whether beasts or a chain of convicts) a pair can be managed by two crew and a single barge by one (though most boatmen do not like to to run solo.