Whalebacks

[E J B]

Thanks again...... appreciate your insight !

[Guest]

Is that the Sagamore in Whitefish Bay, or is there more than one in that area?

Appreciate that Jared.

I thought maybe they used the same winches for docking--but didn't seem right. So when they released the anchors-- just let them slide down the hull ??

You ever dive a whaleback ??

Yes they would let the anchor slide down the hull, they had a sacrificial rope on some of them in some early photographs wrapped around the fluke closest to the spar deck.

Yes, I have dove the Colgate, Clifton, and the one in Whitefish Bay.

[Jared]

Appreciate the information Jared......

Here's a goofy question for you---with several variables involved of course..... How did the whalebacks fair as they went under and hit the bottom compared to a conventionally shaped hull ?? More or less hull fractures etc, etc..... does that make sense ??

In my experience, they hold up better than the normal hulls. The Clifton had 4000 tons of aggregate move forward plus her forward momentum and only the front 40 feet of hull is destroyed. Colgate is completely intact but upside down in much shallower water and has held up fine for the last 107 years on the bottom. The Mather was dynamited and salvaged and still holds her shape. The Wilson has been hit with many anchors, dynamited, and wire dragged and still has the second most amount of interior structure of the living spaces behind the Clifton.

The Cort and 129 busted up so bad due to how shallow the water is. 118 needs more study.

[E J B]

Appreciate the information Jared......

Here's a goofy question for you---with several variables involved of course..... How did the whalebacks fair as they went under and hit the bottom compared to a conventionally shaped hull ?? More or less hull fractures etc, etc..... does that make sense ??

[Jared]

Appreciate that Jared.

I thought maybe they used the same winches for docking--but didn't seem right. So when they released the anchors-- just let them slide down the hull ??

You ever dive a whaleback ??

Yes they would let the anchor slide down the hull, they had a sacrificial rope on some of them in some early photographs wrapped around the fluke closest to the spar deck.

Yes, I have dove the Colgate, Clifton, and the one in Whitefish Bay.

[E J B]

Appreciate that Jared.

I thought maybe they used the same winches for docking--but didn't seem right. So when they released the anchors-- just let them slide down the hull ??

You ever dive a whaleback ??

[Jared]

The coal bunker is the last hatch closest to the stern superstructure. On some whalebacks, the hatch was raised 4-6ft off the spar deck. On later conversions it was flush with the spar deck.

The anchor windlass was housed in the forward turret and there were winches to set the flukes of the anchor went not in use.

[E J B]

I've always been fascinated by whalebacks. Couple questions--one I've asked before.......
Looking at the Henry Cort in the Historical section today:

1. Where were the coal bunkers for fuel

2. How did the crew get the anchors on deck so far from the bow