Plans and sponsons again

[Derek Warner]

On 17/11- "Randal R Largent" <ranjudl@juno.com> wrote

> Can you share where you found plans for your PS Decoy? Do you think it
> is possible that some still exist in Scotland for the GW?

I drew the plans for Decoy based on three little photographs and dimensions
quoted in the book "Ships from the Inland Rivers" (Australian) and I quote
an
example of an explanation given herein

"Official Number - (ON) After 1855 every registered British ship was awarded
an official number"

Accordingly your ferry having being built in Scotland would have been a
registered etc - sometime back we had postings of a location (establishment)
in UK that has or would have a copy of plans for every registered (after
1855)
vessel built in UK - I am sure some one will remember this and post it

Back on sponsons, Harry B posed the point that sponsons may have provided
additional flotation?? - on a number of Australian paddlers, the wooden
sponsons
boards appear to self draining (just like house decking timbers with an
intentional
spaced gap between each timber) - some examples of this can be seen on our
WEB site

In Paddleducks - Go to "Bookmarks" - go to "Paddlewheelers of Australia" -
go to
"Paddlewheelers of the Murray"

Whilst I realise that most types of wood floats on water, however by nature
of
design the lightness of sponson timber structure on many older Australian
paddlers
would not have been able to cope with water pressure on a listing vessel

Interestingly, it appears that the surface area of the sponsons was put to
better use
after many paddlers were completed - I have what I assume is an earlier
photograph
of Decoy clearly showing semi circular paddle box's attached to the sponsons
and
with staircase going down from the top of the paddlebox aft from both port &
stdb
sides - in the other photographs of Decoy the staircases have been moved to
go down
from the top of the paddle box's fwd - the resulting space gained on both
aft sponsons
has been built in or converted into utility spaces with say six foot head
room - one side
I assume being home the small cast iron wood fired stove & cooking area -
and the
other side being home to the throne (head) and what ever washing facilities
existed in
those days - so if these were extensions after completion, makes you wonder
what the
original facilities were like?

After having said all this re examples of Australian paddlers, I realise
that many
alternate designs of sponsons exist where the sponson structure and strength
appears
to be immense, further from original build the area of the sponsons were
covered or
designed as built in areas etc

So this all started out a week or so as "sponsons - how do they attach?" -
it appears that
the original question has posed more variables than answers - so it must
come down to
something like "the sponson of your model is best connected to her hull in a
manner
similar to that of the original"

regards Derek

[Alistair Deayton]

PS Decoy is still in existence, as a hulk, former houseboat on the banks of
the Murray, near Mannum
I doubt if plans from Lobnitz would still be in existence.
There is also a replica of Decoy, running dinner cruises on the Swan River
in Perth, but she has different dimensions, 25.1m long whereas the original,
which was lengthened at some stage, IIRC, is 34.6m long

Alistair Deayton

[Randal R Largent]

I hope someone will see this and let me know where that site is in the UK
for plans after 1855.
I don't remember seeing that posting.

As for PJ's mention of the Canadian Archives I can't believe that never
crossed my mind and will look for a web for them tomorrow.

"the lightness of the sponson timber structure" I think it has finally
sunk in that this part of a paddlewheeler is not to be some massive thing
which I believe PJ stressed at least once in regards to lightness in the
superstructure. In fact I think it could be thought of as an extension
of the deck itself perhaps with extended deck beams cantilevered over the
edge of the hull which would be stronger than an addon piece of wood and
a glorified deckhouse (the paddlebox) is just nailed to it. But then I
suppose the sponson/deckbeam could have been "sistered" to the primary
deckbeam as frames are done to also provide the necessary strength for
hanging outboard. I would assume that the boxes primary reason for
existance would be safety to keep the hapless tar from falling into the
spinning wheel and provide some protection from the docks.
Good Night
Randy

[Paulrjordan]

Well..before you switch off the workshop light for the night...here
are two further good reasons for the paddleboxes.

When I obtained my first sidewheeler model (an absolute disaster
mechanically and operationally) I removed the paddeboxes so I could
check the wheel rotation. With naked paddlewheels spinning at full
speed I placed the boat in the bath which is absolutely the LAST time
I attempted something quite so foolish! The wheels shot up a spray of
water a good two feet into the air and cascading all over the decks
and into the access openings..oh and over ME too! Needless to say, you
can well imagine the consequences on a full size ship and some rather
damp passengers!

The second reason, not so much for the boxes but rather for the
sponsons is, as you suggested, to provide protection to the wheels
themselves. Without any protection this allows the paddler to rather
incoventiently climb up top of low docks and obstructions with
sometimes a slightly destructive effect on the floats and wheels! In
effect the sponsons also act like protective fenders.

It's interesting though that from pictures I've seen of the very
earliest sidewheeelers (e.g. Fulton's "Clermont"), they don't appear
to have paddleboxes...but maybe the wheels rotated so slowly that they
didn't throw up any water on or IN the boat. In fact in pictures of
many sternwheelers I've looked at, they don't appear to have and boxes
covering their huge stern wheels.

Okay..you can switch off the light now!

PJ