Em bed ded ▁systems ▁Category : Bar codes ▁Category : Pack aging ▁mach in ery ▁Category : Image ▁sc ann ers ▁Category : Rec ords ▁management ▁technology <0x0A> </s> ▁A ▁Mer sey ▁flat ▁is ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁double d - ended ▁bar ge ▁with ▁rounded ▁bil ges , ▁car vel ▁build ▁and ▁fully ▁deck ed . ▁Trad itionally , ▁the ▁h ull ▁was ▁built ▁of ▁o ak ▁and ▁the ▁deck ▁was ▁pitch ▁p ine . ▁Some ▁had ▁a ▁single ▁m ast , ▁with ▁a ▁fore - and - aft ▁rig , ▁while ▁some ▁had ▁an ▁additional ▁m iz zen ▁m ast . ▁Despite ▁having ▁a ▁flat ▁bottom ▁and ▁cur ved ▁sides , ▁they ▁were ▁quite ▁stable . ▁They ▁were ▁common ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 7 3 0 s ▁to ▁ 1 8 9 0 s . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁name ▁suggests , ▁these ▁fl ats ▁origin ated ▁on ▁the ▁River ▁Mer sey , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁also ▁used ▁on ▁the ▁rivers ▁Ir well ▁and ▁We aver . ▁ ▁The ▁length ▁of ▁a ▁flat ▁was ▁from ▁ ▁long , ▁with ▁a ▁ ▁dra ug ht ▁and ▁a ▁beam ▁of ▁ 1 4 ▁feet ▁ 9 ▁inches ▁to ▁ 1 7 ▁feet ▁( 4 . 5 ▁to ▁ 5 . 2 ▁m ). ▁They ▁could ▁carry ▁up ▁to ▁ 8 0 ▁tons ▁of ▁cargo , ▁and ▁this ▁size ▁allowed ▁them ▁to ▁work ▁along ▁the ▁Bridge water ▁Canal , ▁the ▁San key ▁Canal ▁and ▁the ▁northern ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Sh ro pshire ▁Union ▁Canal . ▁The