False keel: Admiralty orders concerning coppering

[bruce d]

Just found an Admiralty instruction dated February 15 1782 directing shipyards ... "... not to copper the false keels of ships in the future".   

It is contained in file number at The National Archives (UK) ADM 106/1273/36.

 

HTH,

Bruce

[BANYAN]

Thanks Bruce, that's quite useful to have confirmed.  Is this an online record?  I tried a quick search of TNA Admiralty 1782 but nothing came up.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited Sunday at 11:08 PM by BANYAN

[bruce d]

6 hours ago, bruce d said:

ADM106/1273/36

Hi Pat, 

It's not downloadable but the summary I quoted is from the description. 

Use the ADM reference above in the advanced search section of Discovery (the National Archives online catalogue) and you will see the description. 

Let me know if you have any questions. 

Cheers, 

Bruce 

[druxey]

This order makes perfect sense as the false keel is sacrificial. Thank you for this, Bruce.

[Thukydides]

Great find. Thanks for sharing. I remember there was a thread a little while back discussing this very question, but there was no definitive answer.

 

@Sizzolo you might be interested in this.

 

[Sizzolo]

Cheers @Thukydides - that’s why I finished the coppering before adding the false keel. I’ve also read that the false keel was sometimes ‘filled with nails’ but I’ve tried a few ways to represent that and it doesn’t look great - I’ll use dark wood instead. 

[dafi]

Is there any hint or knowledge if the keel was coppered underneath going round th whole keel or if the coppering went "full stop" at the edge of the false keel?

XXXDAn

[bruce d]

On 3/30/2025 at 5:30 PM, bruce d said:

February 15 1782 directing shipyards ... "... not to copper the false keels of ships in the future".   

 

40 minutes ago, dafi said:

Is there any hint or knowledge if the keel was coppered underneath going round th whole keel or if the coppering went "full stop" at the edge of the false keel?

XXXDAn

Sorry, that is all the summary says. If I visit The National Archives later in the year I will look at the original document to see if it explains further.  Personally, I expect the keel was coppered and the false keel attached afterwards.  I can't imagine they would copper the whole hull underwater and still leave the keel vulnerable to the dreaded worm.  

 

Regards,

Bruce

[BANYAN]

Dan, based on a letter (report) written by the ship's build superintendent (Commander Lockyer, RN) to the Governor (Hotham) of 4 June 1855, about the progress of HMCSS Victoria's (1855) construction:

… About two thirds of the False Keel is on, the main Keel having been first coppered on the underside, ... 

 

This suggests, that least in 1850s, the coppering passed under the keel but the false keel (Lang's safety keel in this instance) was not coppered.

 

Not for the exact time period you are looking at, but I hope this helps?

 

cheers

 

Pat

 

---

[i] PROV; VA 475; VPRS 1189/P0000; 580, Unregistered Correspondence; Lockyer second Letter to Hotham, 4 June 1855.

Edited 18 hours ago by BANYAN

[Thukydides]

An interesting corollary of the 1782 letter is that it suggests that prior to that date the coppering was often done over the false keel.

Edited 7 hours ago by Thukydides

[paul ron]

where can i see the documents?... do have the links?

 

thanks

[Thukydides]

3 minutes ago, paul ron said:

where can i see the documents?... do have the links?

 

thanks

There is only the catalog entry: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C13422581