Dan:

I believe the iron rods you mention are called drift bolts. They also
were used to secure the logs in multiple-log Chesapeake Bay canoes.

A barge spike was a tool.

At 3:30 PM -0500 2/15/04, Daniel H. Weiskotten wrote:
>
>I think that barge spikes were larger than boat spikes, but I also think
>that barge spikes are the long rods that are driven down through the
>planks, from plank to plank, to hold them and give them much added
>strength.

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