Need help with Constitution waterway

[usedtosail]

I am having trouble with something that, to me, should be obvious. I am building the waterways for the Constitution and I don't know if I should add a section across the stern, at the inside of the transom. The plans don't show it there, but they also do not show the whole waterway anywhere, only a small section of waterway along the side. I went back through build logs and I find some models with it and some without. Of course, I could go into Charlestown this weekend and look for myself, but I thought I'd ask first, since we have so many Connie experts on this site.

 

Since I am asking questions, here is another one. Is the waterway split under the bow sprit or does the bow sprit clear it so it can be one piece across the bow? Again, the plans don't show this anywhere, at least that I have found. I am hoping it is split as the clearance in this area is really tight.

 

Thanks.

[robnbill]

I have a midships plan shown the shape of the waterway lock strake. I also have a shot of one of the cannon that shows the lock strake behind it. My understanding of the water control on the ships was it was designed to allow the officers to flood the decks with a few inches of water during a battle to keep fires down as the sparks flew from the cannons. This was accomplished by pumping water up from the bilges.

 

As a result, the ship does not have the traditional scuppers that you see running the lengths of most ships to take the water away and overboard. There are drains, but they are in specific locations (the holes are below the gun deck) and access through pipes from the drains above. 

 

I hope this helps. 

 

Bill

Midship Section.pdf

[usedtosail]

Thanks for that Bill, but I am asking about the waterway at the stern and the bow. Mid ships I understand.

[Modeler12]

The way I saw the watwerway was that they go all around the deck, including the stern and how.

The bowsprit goe over the waterway

[trippwj]

Not sure how useful these are, but the pictures below were extracted from the US Navy website at http://www.history.navy.mil/USSCTour/Movie.html

 

 

 

[usedtosail]

Thanks guys. Those pictures show the waterway in the stern and continuous at the bow, so now I know.

[robnbill]

Here are two photos showing the stern. I cannot find any in my collection for the bow, but you can see the waterway at least from a distance in both of these. Hopefully this will help.

 

[usedtosail]

Perfect. Thanks Bill

[Beef Wellington]

My understanding of the water control on the ships was it was designed to allow the officers to flood the decks with a few inches of water during a battle to keep fires down as the sparks flew from the cannons. This was accomplished by pumping water up from the bilges. 

 

Bill

 

Hi Bill - I had never ever heard of this before, would you be able to point me to where you saw this?  Doesn't seem like an intuituve design feature given the deck would often be ogten awash and slippery with no means to drain off the surface water.  I had always thought that it was more important to ensure the seaman serving the guns had a sure footing by throwing sand on the decks before action.

[robnbill]

Years ago, probably close to 25, I was in Boston and toured the Constitution. If memory recalls correctly, the sailor who was giving the tour pointed out the coamings on the gun deck and remarked that sometimes they would flood the  gun deck with water (not much) and throw sand down. This was for traction.  Now that being said, I would assume that if the ship is pitching back and forth due to waves or broadsides, much water would be impractical. So I do not have a definitive source, but a memory of the tour. 

 

I did find a mention in the book "The Constitution Vs The Guerriere: Frigates during the War of 1812" by Mark Lardas, that in preparation for battle "The guns were cast loose from the ship's bulwarks, where they were normally secured, and made ready for action. Tampions were removed from the muzzles and sponge tubs filled with sea water, so that guns could be swabbed out after each round was fired, dousing the remaining embers before a fresh charge was inserted. To improve sailors' footing on decks that might soon be running with blood, the decks were wetted and sprinkled with sand."

 

My assumption was the wetting is what the sailor was talking about. This water was pumped into the gun deck prior to sanding.

 

Bill

Edited March 7, 2014 by robnbill

[Beef Wellington]

Thanks Bill, the 'light wetting and sanding' seems very much more consistent.  Thanks for the additional background.

[robnbill]

And it explains why the waterways are raised and not addressed like a traditional scupper.

[Force9]

Patrick -

 

The modern restoration is often a good source for how NOT to do something for the 1812 version... Commander Martin has noted in his writings (and I think in the Bluejacket kit manual?) that a waterway was NEVER added across the stern transom.  I'll have to hunt down the reference.

 

 

Unfortunately my picture of the Hull model is not clear, but that artifact does not have waterways across the stern.

 

Evan

[usedtosail]

Thanks Evan. I noticed yours was one of the build logs that did not add the waterway across the stern. I guess I should have gone that way to begin with, but it is already added, so I am going to stick with what I have. I'll just add it to the list of the -ish parts of the 1812-ish version.