Tub boat lift

Most other types of boat lift such as locks or inclined planes are designed to move the boat afloat in some kind of water-filled tank, and, apart from maximum dimensions, are not restricted in the type of craft transported.

Tub boat lifts consisted of a moveable hoist travelling on four toothed wheels engaging with two toothed wooden rails, one mounted on each supporting wall.

The hoist possessed two drums around which the lifting cables were wound.

Four men would wind the hoist when lifting a full 2.5 to 3 tonne tub boat until it was high enough to pass over the dam of the upper canal.

The remains of two tub boat lifts can still be seen, in the same region of Germany.