Sailing Straight and Strong

Sailing Straight and Strong. . , Much like how the backbone of a fish supports its ribs, the keel and keelson provide the rigid structure or backbone for the vessel. , , Extending from stem to stern, this assembly is what the entre vessel in built upon. It must be strong yet flexible to withstand twisting and bending that a ship endures as it sails. , , Fastened on top of the frames is the keelson, the internal keel. It sandwiched the frames between the keel and keelson providing extra stability and strength. , , In very large ships, the keelson was made of many timbers and was as tall as a man! , , As ships grew larger and larger, their keelsons needed to be stronger and stronger. To add strength, additional timbers were added. These timbers are called sister and cousin keelsons depending on their location. , , Larger keelson assemblies posed a disadvantage as they consumed a greater portion of cargo space and increased the weight of the vessel. This reduced the amount of cargo that could be carried, thus reducing profits. , , Shipwrecked: Hungarian , This 275-ton, three-masted barkentine was built by Asa Wilcox at Three Mile Bay, New York. During a three-day storm in October 1880, the Hungarian came ashore on the south side of Whitefish Bay along with two other schooners, the City of Woodstock and the M. N. Dunham. The Hungarian was loaded with 100 cards of wood when she grounded on the beach. Of the three vessels, only the Hungarian was a total loss, her keel having broken in two.