Bending up bow and stern

Form follows function and conditions

To bend the bow and stern upwards, the bottom boards were weighted down with stones and bent upwards with winches. At the same time, to fix the bending, the side walls were firmly connected to the bent-up bow and stern with wooden nails. This created a high degree of dimensional stability. The front part of the ships, called Kranzling, narrowed and ran together beak-like and bent up, a construction mainly due to the passage through weirs and the Traunfall canal.

The special bent-up bow and stern shape was crucial at low water in order to pass over gravel banks despite grounding. It also made mooring easier, as it made it possible to run directly onto the shore. This made it easier to load and unload the ship. With a straight bow, it would not have been possible to overcome shoals, pass through weirs and the Traunfall Canal, or moor directly on the shore.