Captain Sturt - Steel hull

[dragoncity]

On 22 Feb 2004 01:25, you wrote:

> 5. Re: Re: Captain Sturt: Steel Hull
> From: pwebster@froggy.com.au


> Message: 5
> Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 06:36:36 +1100
> From: pwebster@froggy.com.au
> Subject: Re: Re: Captain Sturt: Steel Hull
>
> Leighton,
> Apparently due to the high salt content of the river and the
> constant scraping of the hull bottom, probably due to overloading and the
> low water season, rust was the main enemy of steel on the Murray. Brett
> Hallett maybe the person to verify this but this is my understanding.
> Peter Webster :-)
>
>

I dont know any more than what I've read in various books, but I think the
above is a very succint summary !. The Upper Murray and Darling Rivers tended
to be muddy, and carried tonnes of sand and soil thus acting like a constant
'sandpaper'. I understand that after some years working the redgum hulls were
quite smooth!

It should be noted that other timbers did not fair well in the Murry/Darling
rivers due to the abrasive nature of the water.

Also, interestingly, many boats were so called 'hybred' boats where the lower
(underwater hull) was red gum timber , and the upper hull steel due to the
difference in temperature & weathering. Red gum just 'loves' to be wet!

Other members have refered to modern steel hulls operating sucessfully (the
beautiful Emmy Lou ("harris") being a good example) however she is not
subject to being dragged over sandbars & shallow bottoms ( fortuantely).

Also I expect that the quality of steel (iron?) used would have been quite
poor.

Any snagging of a steel hull would have serious consequences, and very
difficult to repair without good equiptment, whereas a few simple tools and a
slab of red gum and repairs were possible insitue.

I dont think that NZ has many slow moving sand laden rivers, the ones I've
seen are fast running and very clear water.

[B Worden]

This fits my parallel to the reasons why wood was preferred to metal for some time here on the Great Lakes. My refernce to steel and Emmylou was actually in reaction to the statement that the Murray had a high saline content, which no steel hull would like, then or now.

One thing to file away for reference, though, is that 19th century iron plates waste far more slowly than modern mild steel..... hence the survival of long-term derelicts like Great Western.

Bill Worden

[P Webster]

Brett,
What you say is verified in one of the books I have and it is the abrasive manner of
the sand laden water. I should read more carefully in future.
Peter W :-)