Whatever

Would that fall under the look but not touch clause? I mean, you're a married man!

 

Y’all wash?!?

 

*warsh

 

Better

 

Butt...it's not Friday...

 

@StayinStock I know you aren't a country music fan and neither am I but this here is one of them goodurns and you gotta listen to it.

https://youtu.be/uXyxFMbqKYA

 

Okay, you asked for it



Clever Design Choice #1: Speed

It was well known back then that decreasing the beam to length ratio increased speed.
That is, if you make the ship more narrow, it will present less resistance to the water and go faster, all other things being equal.
But there is a price to pay...

Before we get into that...

If you ever read in a book or see on a video some variation of:
"French naval architects were far superior to the English because their ships were faster"...
... you will know that they haven't the faintest goddamn idea what they're talking about.

So yeah, in the Age of Sail, French ships of the line were narrower than English ships and therefore generally faster.
Mind you, the Royal Navy captured quite a few of those ships.
So why didn't the English copy the French?

Warning: Naval Terms dead ahead

In a word: Durability.

A "Beamier" ship is less subject to longitudinal strain from "Sagging" and "Hogging".
A ship whose bow and stern are on the crests of two waves will "Sag" in the middle.
A ship with the crest of a wave amidships will have exerted on it the opposite force and "Hog".
This was particularly important for wooden ships and affected how long a ship could be kept at sea before dry docking and overhaul.

The Royal Navy had wide ranging commitments and needed durability and endurance above all.
The French, well... they were very conscious of their inferiority and valued the ability to avoid battle.
Mind you, the English could be fairly sure that in any fleet encounter, they could likely catch up to some of the French ships.
(The Royal Navy was the first to sheath the hulls of their ships of the line with copper).
Some French ships might have not been "Careened" lately and would have excessive barnacles or other growth on the hull... slowing them down.
We're not talking about a huge difference in speed to begin with.

So what does all this have to do with the USS Constitution?

The Constitution and her sister ships were built comparatively narrow, for speed.
The framing was reinforced with the innovation of diagonal "Riders" going the length of the ship.
This reduced "Hogging" and "Sagging".

Also, the framing was spaced more closely and reinforced with Live Oak "Knees"; the planking was of huge "Baulks" of White Oak.
(Anyone who has split White Oak will know how strong and resistant to splitting it is.)
As a result a frigate could be built that was heavier (and more heavily armed) than any other frigates in the world at the time.


So doesn't all that extra weight tend to reduce speed?
Actually, no.
She rode lower in the water and had a long, deep keel; she had reduced pitch and roll, putting less strain on the masts and rigging.
And Constitution carried an enormous "Press" of sail.
Because she could withstand carrying it.

 

I listened to it, and I gotta admit...it was good right up until the time the guy started singin.

 

We heard a guy singing that at the beach in a restaurant. I told my wife I'm going to start referring to her mother as my ex future mother in law

 

I do like that song and most Luke Combs songs

 

See. This is the quality of content I enjoy reading from you, Uncle Phil!

FTFY

 

That's not how the song goes

Luke Combs, When it rains it pours.....


Sunday morning, man
She woke up fightin' mad
Bitchin' and moanin' on and on
'Bout the time I had
And by Tuesday you could say
That girl was good as gone
Then when Thursday came around I was all alone
So I went for a drive to clear my mind
Ended up at a Shell on I-65
Then I won a hundred bucks on a scratch-off ticket
I bought two 12-packs and a tank of gas with it
She swore they were a waste of time
Oh, but she was wrong
I was caller number five on a radio station
Won a four day, three night beach vacation
Deep sea señorita fishin' down in Panama
And I ain't gotta see my
Ex-future-mother-in-law anymore
Oh Lord, when it rains it pours
Now she was sure real quick to up and apologize
When she heard about my newfound luck
On that FM dial
And it's crazy how lately now
It just seems to come in waves
What I thought was gonna be the death of me
Was my saving grace
It's got me thinkin' that her leavin'
Is the only logical reason
That I got the last spot in the Hooters' parking lot
And the waitress left her number on my check with a heart
She picked up on the first ring when I gave her a call
And I only spent five bucks at the Moose Club raffle
Won a used 4-wheeler and three free passes
For me and two of my buddies to play a round of golf
And I ain't gotta see my
Ex-future-mother-in-law anymore
Oh Lord, when it rains it pours
When it rains it pours
Well I've been on one hell of a redneck roll
For three weeks now
And it all started on the day that she walked out
Then I won a hundred bucks on a scratch-off ticket
Bought two 12-packs and a tank of gas with it
She swore they were a waste of time
Oh, but she was wrong
And I was caller number five on a radio station
Won a four day three night beach vacation
Deep sea señorita fishin' down in Panama
And I ain't gotta see my
Ex-future-mother-in-law anymore
Oh Lord, when it rains it pours
When it rains it pours

 

Somebody's been practicing.

 

…..and here I thought it was bc The Metric system.

 

Ah. See, in that context, it makes sense.