LETTERS The Value of the Weather Gauge My limited understanding of naval tactics in the Age of Sail was that it was of great advantage to obtain the weather gauge (to be upwind) over your opponenr. In rhe two wonderful paintings by Patrick O'Brien in rhe spring issue (Sea History 134), USS Constitution vs. HMS Java (front cover image) and USS United States vs. HMS Macedonian (page 14) , both appear to show the British ships to windward. Yet the Americans won both battles. Did the Brits really have the weather advantage? ]AMES ScoTT Bend, Oregon From NMHS Trustee William H White: While rhe "weather gauge" was surely preferable and did, indeed, provide an advantage to whomever was in that position, it did not always presage the winner of the contesr. As you will learn in the article about the Macedonian and the United States in this issue (see pages 10-14), Decatur tried, unsuccessfully, to gain the weather gauge when he met HMS Macedonian; Carden's ship was more weatherly and our-sailed Decatur's less able vessel, But in the end, as yo u pointed our, United States was rriumphanr. Why? The answer applies to both the Constitution/java engagement and rhe United States/Macedonian fighr. The US Navy employed heavier weight of metal, more skilled crews, and captains willing to "put it all on the line" to win. Heavier weight of metal refers to the broadside of the American frigates versus the British warships. The US Navy used 24-pounder cannon while the British employed 18 pounders; the heavier shot and greater range enabled the American ships ro fire earlier and with more devastating results than their British counterparts.
New Exhibits Cold Waters, Cold War: The 20th Century Navy in Maine - through August 7 Aloft: Wind, Sails & Rigging - Opens August 20 • Explore the only existing U.S. shipyard site for large wooden ships • See life-size sculpture of the world's largest wooden sailing vessel • •Tour Bath Iron Works to see high-tech Navy destroyers being built • Take a lighthouse cruise on the Kennebec River • Vi sit our operating wooden boat shop • Seven family friendly exhibits on 20-acre waterfront campus *May 25 to Oct. 11 only. Reservations strongly recommended. Register online. Open daily 9:30 to S
243 Washington Street· Bath, Maine· 207-443-1316 · www.MaineMaritimeMweum.org
US naval ships were manned with volunteers and they were very eager to become more than proficient with their guns. They could sustain a faster rare of fire than most of the British crews, who generally were not volunteers but rather pressed or conscripted sailors. And !er us nor forger-the Americans were out to prove something, while the British seemed a bit cocky; they were, after all , the most powerful force on the planet! While gaining the weather gauge at the start ofa battle was surely an advantage, it was not the only factor involved in the outcome. Consider, for example, a modern-day sailing race, where a vessel may not get a great start, but they are not necessarily destined to lose the race, as they could gain ground through clever tactics, faster sailing, and favorable wind shifts. Thus it was during the Age of Fighting Sail as well.
Eulogy for Iron-Not So Fast! I enjoyed reading Olaf Engvig's eulogy for iron in shipbuilding (Sea History 133). Iron ships were, in fact, still being built in the early part of the 20th century, somewhat later than the article suggests. In 1906, the fire-float Fire King was built on order for Mr. F. T. Harker (my great-grandfather), for the River Wear Watch (fire/ police) in northeast England. Her hull was riveted iron-60 ft. LOA, 14-ft. beam, 4-ft. draft-and fitted with twin Harker compound steam engines. Fire King remained in active service for more than 50 years-and through both World Wars.
In 1998, Fire King re-appeared from the mists of rime-rebuilt as a sai ling barge. Intrigued by rhe family connection, I bought ir. The original hull and superstructure were in remarkably good condition, despite being abandoned for twenty years, but, the previous conversion included pouring an entire truckload of concrete into the bilges, making inspection and repair below the waterline impractical. Inspection of accessible plate areas, however, showed only minimal degradation of the original 3/s-inch plating. The former Fire King, now in Seattle and re-named rhe Sarah Elizabeth Banks, still retains the original riveted-iron fantail stern and bow sections, plus the coach-house top and sides. The midships section has been re-plated below the waterline with steel, welded onto rhe original iron frames ; a steel deck-house has also been added. The original deck was teak-on-iron plate; repairs of rhe deck have been few. The vessel is now a comfortable live-aboard, much admired, even among the many classic boats here in the Pacific Northwest. The similarity of the hull form with classic wooden ocean-going motor yachts is remarkable until you consider that rivets are basically big nails. Hull shapes only changed significantly when welding enabled large Bar steel plates to be "glued" together, with sharp corners. Better/ faster/cheaper no doubt, bur sadly lacking the style and elegance of traditional forms. MALCOLM HARKER Seattle, Washington
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SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 20 1I