Lead ingots (slabs) used for ship's ballast?

[SYRGEM]

Has any member come across large cast lead ingots (slabs) used for ships ballast prior to 1660?

[Mark P]

Good Evening Syrgem;

 

I can certainly confirm that Jonas Shish, Master Shipwright at Deptford during at least part of the Protectorate period, and the reign of King Charles, was familiar with the use of cast lead as ballast. However, the only use he refers to, and which I know continued into later periods, is in Royal yachts; which did not exist in England prior to the Restoration in 1660. So you are probably already aware of this. I have seen no earlier reference to this practice. 

 

It is possible that this began with the Dutch presentation of a yacht to Charles on his Restoration, if that yacht was so ballasted. Charles, who took a deep interest in ship design, would doubtless have been aware of this if it was so, and this could have been the source for the introduction of cast lead ballast in English vessels. But this is entirely conjectural. 

 

The ballast was cast to fit between the timbers, under the keelson, then sealed over by the ceiling of the hold (there's a clue there to the origin of the word, methinks) The reasoning was that the maximum amount of hold space remained available, not being occupied by shingle or iron ballast, both of which took up a larger volume for the equivalent weight. In later yachts, additional ballast in the form of further cast lead pigs was distributed along the sides of the keelson; presumably not over the limber passage, though.

 

All the best,

 

Mark P