Photos, drawings and description of pouring the J Boat RANGER's 100 ton lead keel

[rbgarr]

http://www.mainemaritimemuseum.org/popup.asp?programID=246

[rbgarr]

Gloves?? Hell, the FUMES would kill you!

-paraphrase of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid

[Ken Hutchins]

Small stuff, Mars Metal north of the border made this keel for 154' Ketch, 'Scheherazade' which was built at Hodgdon yachts in Maine
http://www.marsmetal.com/newmedia/scheunload.gif
http://www.marsmetal.com/newpages/massive.html

http://www.marsmetal.com/newmedia/schqewtruck.gif

[Figment]

More than I'd like to drop on my toe.

[Ken Hutchins]

Only :) 154,000 lbs.:)

[rbgarr]

Which is 77 tons (23 fewer tons than RANGER's).

[Stiletto]

Thanks for the link, very interesting.

[reddog]

Thanks Rb for the link to a great site.Very informative.

Earl

[rbgarr]

Isn't that an interesting site? The registrar at the museum is Chris Hall, and he's written a slew of those 'Orlop' pieces. I'm going to see him next week with the idea for writing something for WB or some other publication on a fifty year old LFH designed boat in the museum's collection. He's a good writer/researcher and I'm looking forward to working with him.

[John B]

It is interesting thanks Dave.
I liked the salvaged cottage floor
http://www.mainemaritimemuseum.org/pictures/loftb.jpg

[JimD]

Don't try this at home.

[John B]

uh oh.

[rbgarr]

I was trying to think of what yachts might have even heavier lead keels.

According to Bray's "Herreshoff of Bristol", RELIANCE's was 100 tons, and though he doesn't list the 163' KATOURA's keel weight, the foremast on the schooner was RELIANCE's mainmast (saved after she was scrapped). I imagine the schooner may have thus needed an even heavier keel.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Ranger never raced again after the summer of 1937. The J-boat era and Ranger's graceful keel came to an end with the onset of World War II. In a wrenching reversal of the parable, the plowshare was beaten into swords as her 100-plus tons of lead was again melted down for the war effort in 1941, five short years after being formed in a silver stream of molten metal under a crowded excited scaffold.


I thought that Mr Vanderbilt sold her for scrap in 1940, and presented the sale proceeds to the RAF to buy a Spitfire with.

[TR]

Some recent large ballast keels,

These are long tons of 2240 pounds.

ADELE - 180' - 319t disp - 93t ballast
MIRABELLA V - 247' - 765t disp - 150t lifting bulb
MALTESE FALCON - 288' - 1661t disp. - 236t fixed, +49t water ballast
ATHENA - 253' - 1068t disp - 244t ballast

I'm not sure about Mirabella's bulb, but the rest are inside metal keels, not one casting.

Tad

[R.I.Singer30]

Thanks, interesting old photos say so much.

Mirabella V has a retracting bulb,allowing 6 mteters of draught IIRC.

[Lucky Luke]

....These are long tons of 2240 pounds.....

Tad
Thank you for the use of long tons, nearly equal to metric tons, ...and not pounds (=0.454 Kg.), or tons (=0.893 metric tons)...or worse! ;)

[TR]

Hi Luke,

Yes, I had a feeling from the way the original article (on the BIW lead casting) was written that the author was talking short tons of 2000 pounds.

A new Ranger was launched in 2003 and was subject to much controversy, as she is considerably different than the original. Her actual displacement and ballast weight are not made public that I can find, but her displacement is guessed at by Yachting World as "in excess of 200 tons". Those would be long tons, and this is at least 30 tons over the displacement of the original vessel. The new boat had her freeboard raised 4" at the sheer and thus she is about 22" longer overall than the original. She also has carbon spars and with engine, generator, and tanks below waterline will have somewhat more stability than the original Ranger.

All the best, Tad