Keep the Boat Afloat

Keep the Boat Afloat. . , No matter how hard you try to keep it out, water will collect in a ship. A number of unique designs and tools have been created to remove this excess water. , , Look at the top-most wooden piece; this is part of the bulwark It keeps cargo and people from falling overboard while preventing waves from coming aboard. , , Covered in planks and topped with a railing, the bulwarks were fastened to the frame tops. If a large wave splashed onto the deck, openings at the base called scuppers allowed water to flow off. , , The horizontal plank is part of the ship's outer layer known as outer hull planking. These planks were combined with caulk to make the wooden hulls water-tight. The caulk, made from oakum and tar, is hammered into the seams to create a seal. , , Notice the square notch cut in the bottom of the lower frame piece. , It's called a limber hole. Cut the length of the vessel; it directs water to the bilge pumps where it is pumped out. A chain would lie in the notch, and sailors would tug the chain to loosen any debris and allow the water to flow. , , Shipwrecked: Success , This 161 ton, two-masted scow schooner was built by Julius Johnson in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. On November 26, 1896, the schooner's anchor chain parted while she was waiting out a storm in the shelter of the bay. Loaded with lumber, the vessel was driven onto the beach near the north shore of Whitefish Bay where she broke up in the pounding surf.