Historic Ships Research Articles

Some Observations on the Strength of Viking Ship Rudders

Technical papers which attempt to analyse historic and ancient ship structures using modern techniques appear only spasmodically in today’s learned engineering journals. There could be many good reasons for this; the lack of commercial incentives, the paucity of accurate engineering data and perhaps a certain reluctance to cross into an area which is rightly the province of the nautical archaeologist. This, in the author’s view is a pity since simplified analytical techniques of the type routinely used in design offices can offer useful cost-effective insights into the physical behaviour of historic ships and craft, without endangering the physical reconstruction or its crew. In addition as the input data are often only loosely defined, less sophisticated methods are ideal for conducting “data-sensitivity” investigations. One such paper (Loscombe, 2022) described efforts to apply modern local and global structural design methods to Viking-age ships with a view to establishing plausible operational factors of safety for comparison with modern requirements. This follow-up contribution continues with the theme by focusing on the rudder. Rudder failure can endanger any ship, ancient, medieval or modern but the Viking ship rudder has a number of structural features not found on modern vessels which invite retrospective stress analyses. One component in particular, the lower bearing in modern terminology, appears to have a very short operational life, measured in days rather than years as is the expectation for today’s marine vehicles and hence the Viking ship rudder is a good candidate for such simplified numerical analyses.

Assessing the adoption of the Yavuz Battleship application in the mixed reality environment using the technology acceptance model

This study concentrates on developing a mixed reality (MR) app for the historic ship Yavuz Battleship, also known as “SMS Goeben,” and assessing its acceptance using the technology acceptance model (TAM). Mixed reality blends real and virtual environments to create novel spatial experiences, bridging the gap between the virtual and real worlds. This technology enables designers to craft immersive, interactive environments that enhance users' perception of physical reality. The study employs a multi-stage methodology, including historical research, 3D model creation, digital information integration, Unity program transfer, MR environment development with the Mixed Reality Toolkit (MRTK), and implementation as a Microsoft Hololens 2 app. TAM is employed to gauge MR acceptance. Evaluation results affirm the Yavuz MR app's TAM alignment, providing structural support for similar architectural science inquiries. The research underscores the need to explore MR's architectural applications and TAM's role in measuring MR acceptance.

THE EDWIN FOX: THE SECRET SHIP, YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF, AT THE OTHER END OF THE WORLD, PRESERVED AGAINST ALL ODDS BY A HANDFUL OF ENTHUSIASTIC TOWN LOCALS...

The Edwin Fox ship, built in India in 1853, (Figure1) has many stories to tell, from its adventures on the high seas to how it came to rest in a small, amazing little town at the other end of the world from where it began its life. The Edwin Fox is not well known, yet its story is not only important to Picton, Marlborough, a Provence with a rich maritime heritage from the early Polynesian explorers to Captain Cook in 1770, [6] but to Aotearoa, (New Zealand) as a country, and indeedthe world, there is much to be learnt from the ship. The Edwin Fox is unlike any other historic ship due to the way the preservation of the ship was undertaken. It is one of the few historic ships in the world that people have been able to physically interact with. In this paper I hope to inform the audience of the history of the Edwin Fox with reference to the various RINA conference topics. I will showcase the importance and tenacity of volunteers, whom with passion and very little else, achieved remarkable outcomes while also highlighting some of the negative aspects. I will also highlight our present plight today with regards the ship preservation project and the need for expertise, particularly in the field of engineering given the complication of the ship being docked in an Earthquake prone area, making this a truly unique opportunity.

PRESERVING OUR SHIPS FOR POSTERITY – A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO MANAGING HISTORIC SHIP PROJECTS

Historic ships are an essential part of the United Kingdom’s maritime heritage, but their ongoing conservation faces many challenges. These include an ongoing requirement for maintenance that extends beyond the vessel’s working life, unsustainable financial cycles, and the loss of skills necessary for repairs and restoration. To support the owners of historic ships through conservation projects, Beckett Rankine has developed the “Engineered Conservation” method. This applies a holistic perspective, a focus on the requirements of the vessel and owner, consideration of all key stakeholders, and commitment to proactive and continuous maintenance to achieve sustainable conservation. The principles and application of this method are presented through four case studies, using vessels at different stages in their conservation projects. Through these, the successes and limitations of the engineered conservation method are identified and discussed, allowing conclusions to be drawn on its effectiveness.

POMMERN DOCK – BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

In 2017 - 2018, a bespoke dock was built for the sole purpose of preserving the historic vessel Pommern of Mariehamn. As the dock was built in the water rather than dug into land, the construction posed several challenges that rarely feature in dock constructions. However, it was these challenges that made the project exciting, attracting international interest among engineers as well as heritage professionals. That Pommern now has its own custom-built dock provides new possibilities to pursue strategic preservation work. Furthermore, the ship and the dock together have the potential of becoming a hub and workshop for international co-operation regarding different methods for preserving historic ships.

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SHIPS PLANS COLLECTION AT THE NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM AND ITS USES FOR PRESERVING HISTORIC SHIPS

Royal Museums Greenwich is the National Repository for Admiralty ships plans and technical records. The institution also holds significant merchant collections, comprising of ships plans, photographs, business, and technical records. Despite its size, it is arguably an underutilised and relatively unknown archive outside model makers and a small group of maritime researchers. This paper gives an overview of the collections showing how are used as a key reference for the preservation and understanding of Historic Ships. It highlights specific examples where the collections have been employed, including the building of replica vessels, and recently built warships. It touches on the applications of the collection as an educational resource to facilitate further shipbuilding knowledge. This includes rediscovering lost shipwright skills and past techniques to inform future preservation. It can also potentially inform more greener ship designs through the extensive sailing ship archive from more hydrodynamic hull designs to cleaner propulsion systems.

Shifting Roles of Citizen Scientists Accelerates High‐Quality Data Collection for Climate Change Research

ABSTRACTWe are a team of citizen science volunteers and academics presenting a case study about how long‐serving Old Weather (OW) project volunteers left the leading citizen science platform, Zooniverse.org, and created their own opensource transcription tool to capture meteorological data from historic ship logbooks, for climate science. This project, built in LibreOffice Calc (hereafter LOC‐OW) marks a transition from a hierarchical model of crowdsourcing to a co‐productive model in which the roles of the volunteers and the original project owners shifted, the volunteers gained expertise and developed a sense of ownership over the data production tools and process.

From seedlings to ships: supply chain and production management in the Venice Arsenale, 1400–1800

Purpose The Arsenale was the largest medieval industrial enterprise, famous for its assembly line. Management faced extreme variations between peace-time and war-time demands. Satisfying these unpredictable and sudden demands for a large, complex product with a multiple years–long production cycle was challenging. The purpose of this study is to analyze the Arsenale’s operations and supply chain arrangements, and to identify and assess their management policies. We also track its development and investigate its influence on other countries. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology used is archival research with content analysis of text and graphic representations of production processes. Findings These reveal that Venice’s supply chain management evolved from simply exploiting woodlands as needs arose, to a managed forest with planned planting, cultivation and harvesting, ending with the active modification of growing trees so their natural growth was artificially shaped to satisfy production requirements. Instead of fabricating components in their factory, the Venetians formed them by shaping the trees while they were still growing. These arboriculture techniques then provided a planned and regular supply of high-quality components that purely natural processes provided only randomly. Research limitations/implications There may be undiscovered archival documents despite the authors’ best efforts. The development of this historic supply chain reflects modern managerial concerns. Practical implications Modern restorations of historic ships and buildings use some of the fabrication methods identified, although the more intensive techniques would require higher volume production. Social implications This reveals historical forestry practices emphasised long-term needs and sustainable use. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is a unique long-term investigation of an integrated production system and considers its influence on Iberian, French, British and American forestry and ship building. The close integration of production requirements with forestry practices was a novel finding.

Arnold & Henry Kriegstein, Historic Ship Models of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries in the Kriegstein Collection by Richard Greenwood

Arnold & Henry Kriegstein, Historic Ship Models of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries in the Kriegstein Collection by Richard Greenwood

Bursting the bubble: Reflecting on 50 years of maritime archaeological research in Queensland

Over the last 50 years, significant maritime archaeological research, including the excavation of shipwrecks and underwater cultural heritage projects (mainly site inspections and monitoring activities) occurred in Queensland. There is no doubt that there are exceptional historic ship and aircraft sites along the Queensland coastline. Queensland has been the home of an active Maritime Archaeology Department at the Queensland Museum, one of the most successful active avocational groups (the Maritime Archaeology Association of Queensland), and a decade-long university program at James Cook University. However, it seems that after the large-scale excavations of HMS “Pandora” (sunk in 1791), maritime archaeological research, educational outreach, public interest, and eventually, professional positions, dwindled. This paper reviews the past 50 years of shipwreck research, highlighting where and when approaches failed before discussing the future and what lies ahead for maritime archaeological research in Queensland.

Development of the Virtual Reality Application: “The Ships of Navarino”

Virtual reality and 3D modeling techniques are increasingly popular modes of representation for historical artifacts and cultural heritage, as they allow for a more immersive experience. This article describes the process that was adopted for the development of a virtual reality application for four ships involved in the historic battle of Navarino. The specific naval battle was the culmination of military operations during the Greek Revolution in 1827, in which the allied British, Russian, and French fleet defeated Turkish-Egyptian forces. Representative 3D models of four significant warships that participated in the battle of Navarino were created: the British “Asia”, the French frigate “Armide”, the Russian “Azov”, and the Ottoman “Kuh-I-Revan”. These historic ships were digitally designed according to historical drawings and a VR battle environment was developed, which visitors can experience. In addition, the 3D models were generated by a 3D printer and painted according to the digitized ship-models. The development was conducted within the realm of the NAVS Project. The VR application, “The Ships of Navarino”, as well as the 3D-printed models were presented as part of a physical exhibition hosted in the Eugenides Foundation in Athens, Greece.

Ship shapes: digitising historic ship models

This ongoing PhD project involves the gathering of data on large Dutch merchant ships of the 17th and 18th centuries and the conver­sion of that data into a common spatial format. It is hoped that this will give new insights into shipbuilding during this period. As part of this project a large proportion of the known models of this type and period have been digitised in partnership with museums across Europe. Using this data the project also looks at how 3D data of this type can facilitate the dissemination of accurate mari­time archaeological data and museum collections to the public.

Wood-borers in Historic Ships

ABSTRACT Using evidence of wood-borers in several of the National Museum of the Royal Navy’s historic ships, this article will examine the threat posed to the historic fabric by non-marine species and the reasons that we struggle to eradicate the problem. The relationship between fungal attack and beetle activity will be discussed, and the need for supporting research into this and other aspects of damage due to wood-boring species. HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and HMS Trincomalee all suffer from attack by wood-boring species, though the infestations are in different stages of development on each vessel. By investigating and employing an integrated pest management strategy on Trincomalee, we hope to learn more about the most effective means of combatting the much more widespread infestation of death watch beetle on Victory. Other wood-borers including weevil, furniture beetle and wharfborer are also present across our collection of ships, and all these species are facilitated by the damp conditions which can never be truly resolved as the ships are located in open coastal environments.

Ajaloolise puupaadikultuuri pärandiväärtusest Lahemaa paadiehituse ja viislaiu näitel / The heritage value of historical wooden boat culture on the example of Lahemaa boat construction and viislaid-type boat

Ajaloolise puupaadikultuuri pärandiväärtusest Lahemaa paadiehituse ja viislaiu näitel / The heritage value of historical wooden boat culture on the example of Lahemaa boat construction and viislaid-type boat

Chasing the Phantom Ship: Revisiting Interpretations of the Boca Chica No. 2 Shipwreck on the Texas Coast

Boca Chica Beach spans the south Texas coast in Cameron County for a distance of roughly 12 kilometers between Brazos Santiago Pass and the mouth of the Rio Grande River at the Texas and Mexican border. More than 165 historic ships have been reported lost along the south Texas coast in this general area and at least four, or portions thereof, have been discovered so far. The most well-known of the shipwreck remains is archeological site 41CF184, nicknamed Boca Chica No. 2, which has gained almost mythological status in the region as it has long been circumstantially linked to the Mexican warship Moctezuma; not-so-coincidentally one of the most famous shipwrecks in the region. Is Boca Chica No. 2 the famous warship, once believed to be a “phantom” because it so often eluded the Texian patrols? Evidence suggests otherwise but the significance of both the historic ship and the archeological site invite reexamination of this unresolved mystery.

Chasing the Phantom Ship: Revisiting Interpretations of the Boca Chica No. 2 Shipwreck on the Texas Coast

Boca Chica Beach spans the south Texas coast in Cameron County for a distance of roughly 12 kilometers between Brazos Santiago Pass and the mouth of the Rio Grande River at the Texas and Mexican border. More than 165 historic ships have been reported lost along the south Texas coast in this general area and at least four, or portions thereof, have been discovered so far. The most well-known of the shipwreck remains is archeological site 41CF184, nicknamed Boca Chica No. 2, which has gained almost mythological status in the region as it has long been circumstantially linked to the Mexican warship Moctezuma; not-so-coincidentally one of the most famous shipwrecks in the region. Is Boca Chica No. 2 the famous warship, once believed to be a “phantom” because it so often eluded the Texian patrols? Evidence suggests otherwise but the significance of both the historic ship and the archeological site invite reexamination of this unresolved mystery.

Continuous Existence of Historic Ship Museums

Keeping museum practices strictly within the confines of the National Register of Historic Places’ period of historical significance guidelines is not sustainable for many museum ships. By defining and using continuous existence, SS John W. Brown is creating a new method of interpretation, marketing, preservation, and programming that tells a larger story. This paper puts SS John W. Brown, a Liberty ship from World War II, operational vessel, and maritime museum, into context by surveying ships on the National Register of Historic Places. As World War II fades from public memory and popular culture, a new methodology is required.

In situ phase-domain calibration of oxygen Optodes on profiling floats

Comparison of profiles from oxygen Optodes deployed on profiling floats with ship-based bottle casts taken at the time of deployment shows typical low biases of approximately 0 to −40 μmol kg−1. Most proposed methods to correct these biases use linear or multiplicative corrections of the derived variable O2. Some of these methods depend on specific reference data such as deployment casts or air measurements. Here, we describe a versatile in situ method to recalculate O2 directly from Optode phase and temperature by recalibrating two coefficients of the modified Stern–Volmer equation. This method may be used to calibrate most floats deployed with Optodes to date, as well as present floats, including those equipped with air measurement capability. Reference data can be taken from historic ship casts, climatology, deployment casts, and/or air measurements, depending on availability.In situ calibrations were performed on 147 Optodes floats deployed on UW floats between 2004 and 2015 using only World Ocean Database (WOD) references. Median differences to World Ocean Atlas (WOA) 2009 climatology were reduced from ∼6% to ∼1%. Deployment casts were used to estimate error for eight Argo floats deployed in the Indian and Pacific Oceans; the aggregate error was reduced from 8% to 0.3%.Comparison of six pairs of Optodes deployed on the same float showed relative errors after in situ calibration of 0.1±0.6μmolkg−1. WOD-calibrated surface air oxygen values for nineteen Optode floats with air-measurement capability were compared with expected oxygen levels from NCEP surface level pressures and showed typical errors of <±2%.Using data from eight floats with deployment casts, comparison of phase-domain linear correction with oxygen-domain linear correction showed a difference of less than ∼±2%. Comparison of surface gain correction with deployment casts found gain-corrected values below the depth of the oxygen minimum to be consistently low, with residuals of approximately −0.5 to −4.5%.

The Role of Civic Engagement for Men’s Health and Well Being in Norway—A Contribution to Public Health

Objectives: Using the example of older men volunteering on teams that restore historic ships, this article examines the effects of volunteering on the well-being of older adults. We consider particularly how volunteering impacts levels of social engagement and explore how the men’s reminiscences as they bond with their fellows …

The role of civic engagement for men's health and well being in Norway-a contribution to public health.

Objectives: Using the example of older men volunteering on teams that restore historic ships, this article examines the effects of volunteering on the well-being of older adults. We consider particularly how volunteering impacts levels of social engagement and explore how the men’s reminiscences as they bond with their fellows in highly skilled work helps integrate their life experiences. Methods: Data are based on 14 in-depth interviews with volunteers working on historic vessels in Norway. Self-rated health, functional dependency, and well-being measures were collected using semi-structured questionnaire. Results: Volunteering in a context of skilled, group-bonded, culturally prestigious activity adds considerably to social capital among elderly men in Norway. Respondents explain their involvement in terms of prior relationships and current social benefits. They spoke of the value of maintaining past personal connections to a particular ship, shipping company, or local community. These were reinforced by current social benefits, such as the experience of companionship, unity, and the feeling of making an important contribution to the society. The group dynamics and strong collective aspect of these voluntary associations maintains internal cohesion, and members only leave when forced by increasing age, poor health, or insufficient financial resources. Conclusions: This article illuminates a case study of gender-specific engagement of older adults in volunteer roles returning high benefits both to participants and society, and adds knowledge to public-health programs and policies in the volunteer- and cultural-heritage sector.