Shipbuilding and design hasn’t changed
much throughout history. From the time of the first large water craft until
now, a ship must be stable in the water, able to carry cargo, and
cost-efficient to build and operate.
Earliest designs of flat-bottomed boats,
suitable for calm waters and short trips on inland lakes,
soon proved unstable
on the ocean. Thus began the search for the best wood—surprisingly, the sturdy
oak is too heavy and can’t bear sufficient cargo weight or endure rough oceans.
Essex Ship yard |
Perhaps not surprisingly, at least to
those who study and follow Biblical teaching, is that cypress or gopher wood is
much stronger and more flexible for open waters and heavy loads.
Next, realizing the need for stability on
the ocean, keels were developed and redesigned according to the purpose of the
ship. For those transporting passengers and perishable cargo, speed was of the
essence, so sleek deep-v hulls for a faster and more smooth ride and large
coal-fired engines were included in the new designs. With the advent of
increased international trade, larger cargo ships had broader hulls, while
racing schooners continued to employ sail power, medium-v hulls for more
stability in open waters, augmented by backup gasoline motors.
USS Suzanne |
Massachusetts was a well-known
shipbuilding area for several reasons, including its protected harbors and
bays, as well as the trees required to build the ships. Not only were
shipbuilders and designers employed, but also those other trades such as sail
makers, rope makers, and suppliers known as chandlers.
Although not strictly a ship, the
quintessential dory was first designed and built in Massachusetts. The renowned
Gloucester fishing fleet also supplied and empowered the merchant and naval
fleets that made the United States a world power.
By the late 1880s, an experienced
shipbuilder would make use of his time and effort by employing his ship during
the summer fishing season, then he would sell his boat in the fall. This served
two purposes: he earned income then sold a seasoned ship with “the bugs worked
out” to another fisherman, who would use the downtime of the winter season to
get the boat into tip-top shape for the coming year.
Often, a captain in need of a ship would
travel to the town of Essex and contract for a new
vessel, because the Essex
shipbuilders were famous for unsurpassed skill and craftsmanship. Most
shipbuilders learned how to build a boat through on-the-job training, including
fishing and transport. However, by the late 1880s, universities were training
in naval architecture, including theory, which enabled new ideas to flourish.
However, many shipbuilders came from a long line of builders, and learned
through apprenticeship.
Captain's Chair |
While racing, passenger, and transport
schooners were the mainstay of the economy, other types of everyday boats were
also required, including tugboats and lightships.
The Navy was also a marketplace for
ships, and by the 1880s, were placing orders not only for iron-enforced hulls,
but also for steel hulled ships. In 1883, the US Congress approved $1.3 million
to build three cruisers and a dispatch ship steel-hulled ships. This group of
ships was called the ABCD ships—cruisers Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago, and the
dispatch ship Dolphin—and were the beginnings of a steel Navy. The building of
these ships proved that steel was easier to work with than iron, making it the
material of choice for future Naval orders.
While my most recent release, Kate, doesn’t take place on the ocean,
she does travel westward in a Prairie Schooner—a covered wagon so called
because of its rounded sides which reminded folks of a ship.
About Kate:
A prostitute’s
daughter, an outlaw’s brother, and a stagecoach robbery—can anything good come
out of Deadwood?
Kate Benton, daughter of a saloon
floozy, runs away, straight into the arms of Tom McBride, fleeing from his
outlaw brother’s past. Can these two, damaged by life experiences, tear down
the walls that separate them with God’s help? Or are they destined to remain alone
forever?
Kate is available at https://www.amazon.com/Kate-Prairie-Roses-Collection-Book-ebook/dp/B084VTBGF2
in print and digital, and at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1016576
in digital
About Donna:
Donna lives in Denver with
husband Patrick. As a hybrid author, she writes historical suspense under Donna is represented by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary
Management.
her
own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts, and
has been published more than 30 times in novellas and full-length novels. She
is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Writers on the Rock, Sisters
In Crime, Pikes Peak Writers, and Christian Authors Network; facilitates a
critique group; and teaches writing classes online and in person. Donna also
ghostwrites, edits, and judges in writing contests. She loves history and
research, and travels extensively for both.
www.HiStoryThruTheAges.com
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Fascinating post! I never thought about the "technology" of shipbuilding in the early days, especially the difference a hull shape made. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda, I didn't either, until I did this research. One interesting thing is that the Bible mentions gopher wood for building the ark, and while we aren't really certain what kind of wood it was,by all descriptions, it is perfect for ships: strong, resilient, and lightweight. Much like our present day cypress.
DeleteThanks for the post! I'm not aware of cypress and gopher wood growing in Massachusetts, so they must have found other wood just as suitable? It's interesting that nowadays there are schools that specialize in making boats by hand from wood, though certainly for personal use I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteHi Connie, thanks for great insight. Yes, those don't grow in Massachusetts, but pine does, and it's a pretty decent substitute. Funny how artisan-based classes are so popular now, from shipbuilding to weaving to cooking and farming.
ReplyDelete