River Terminology

[towboatjoe]

Now that we're all having fum playing sailor, how about your knowledge of riverboat terminology? For instance, do you know what a "monkey rudder" is? If you do, do you know why it was named such?

For those who are not familiar, a monkey rudder is a rudder placed aft of the wheel and since it is usually connected to the steering rudder, which is forward of the wheel, it turns mimicing the steering rudder. Hence the name monkey rudder from the old addage "Monkey see, monkey do"

How much do you really know about riverboats? I know different countries will have different terms, but that would make it even more interesting to compare terms.
Let's start off easy, does anyone know what an "ash well" is?

[Red_Hamish]

Hello all, I'd proffer my thoughts on this one. I suggest it may be a well beneath the fire pit which collects the ash from the grate above and can be cleansed by allowing water to pass through while underway. "Am I right or am I right?" as one of my teachers used to say.

cheers

Jim

[Eddy Matthews]

Lets face it Jim, with the current rank of "Stoker" you should know! :-)

[towboatjoe]

You're getting close Jim. It does have to do with the water, but what you have described is the "ash pan".


OH,heck, I'll go ahead and tell ya. It's a pipe from ash pan through the bottom of the boat where the ashes are dumped overboard.

Now can you tell me what a "balance bucket" is?

[thewharfonline]

Ok what does "spragging" mean? I dunno if everyone will know that or just us Aussies...I don't know too much about international boats

[towboatjoe]

That's one on me. My thinking cap must have a short circuit in it cause I can't think of a thing.

A balance bucket is a heavy bucket plank in the paddlewheel used to balance the weight of the crank and pitman.

Deadwood is a skeg, or fin, ahead of a rudder.

Hogging is the tendency for a hull to hump up in the center and droop at the ends.

A thwart is a seat in a rowboat.

Can anyone guess what a "death hook" is?

[towboatjoe]

Now the answer to yesterday's Question, "What is a death hook"?

It's a hook on the extreme end of a safety valve lever where the engineer could hang weights to increase steam pressure.

[thewharfonline]

That death hook sounds similar to 'spragging' which is blocking the engines/boilers saftey valve to make the ship go faster...could be aussie slang! it was used commonly to meet deadlines and win races, but ws incredibly dangerous!

[Khephre]

Interesting - there was a posting only recently where the safety valves on the paddle tug had been interfered with - with the expected catastrophic explosion and loss of life. (Eddy's post is in the same research section - relates to the Rifleman.)

Re spragging - there's a couple of alternative meanings for that expression - it also refers to the way that carters stopped wagons on steep grades by throwing a sprag or length of wood in between the spokes of the wheels. I found the term used in a modern context, used in engineering circles with a similar meaning:

"The pricing structure for RoSafe will make it an attractive and safe alternative to the conventional solution of duplicate cylinders or winches and a spragging support system" - Bosch Rexroth website on ship-to-shore boarding facilities braking systems for RORO ferries.

And apparently it's also a young salmon.

cheers
Tony

[thewharfonline]

Salmon...thats a new one, weird but other than that spragging appears to always be stopping something from working!