Up to 8 chain boats were in service on the Main.

From the start, the chain boat service achieved poor results.

As a result chain boats were soon being used on many rivers across Europe.

Behind a chain boat, by contrast, the water was calm.

This section of river was later to become the starting point for the first chain boats in Germany.

In addition, the chain boat transport was much faster and cheaper.

Chain boats were also used in the United States.

Chain boats were favoured on shallow rivers with fast currents.

Chain boats not only had to face competition with the railways, but also on the waterways themselves.

From his description, elements of this basic principle seem to be similar to those subsequently used later in building chain boats.

In time, the use of chain boats became restricted to a few particularly difficult sections of river.

Up to 28 chain boats rattled upstream over a total length of 668 kilometres.

The transport service was profitable and the number of chain boats was increased to four.

On the remaining 167 km section with its strong currents the chain boats made a profit in many years of about 30%.

The chain boat hauled itself along by means of a chain laid in the river bed.

As a result, on later chain boats, the chain drive was always located in the middle of the boat.

On the River Havel, too, there was a short period of trials with chain boats.

However, fast currents when rivers were in spate could also be problematic for chain boats.

In Russia too, chain boat navigation became widespread.

Chain shipping companies required a licence to operate chain boats.

This corresponded almost exactly to the total price for the eight chain boats that were to be used on that section.

Chain boats revolutionized inland waterway transport, especially on rivers with strong currents.

We came along past the chained boats in the slips along the quay to where the barman's boat should be.

Chain boats optimized for particularly shallow water had a draught of only 40 to 50 centimetres when unladen.

In order to prevent this, chain boats were fitted, fore and aft, with large, powerful rudders.