U.S.S.CONSTITUTION observance day in pictures.

The mention of the timber brings up an interesting book about the Constitution.  Forget the name of book and author (anyone?).  Anyway, it mentioned a federal forest area maintained just to provide ship timbers.

It is interesting that Don Stauffer should mention about the timbers of the U.S.S. CONSTITUTION. The main construction on the original CONSTITUTION's hull, was white oak (Quercus alba). This pre-eniment hard wood tree is found in eastern to central North America, from Quebec, Canada, south to Northern Florida, to Eastern Texas. This tree is identified by its massive heights and sturdy branches that strike out in wide angles. It is a long lived tree, where individual speciments have been know to live up to 500 years. That is why the U.S.S. CONSTITUTION is also know by her nickname "Old Ironsides", when during the War of 1812, British cannon balls were seen to bounce off the sides of the CONSTITUTION's hull.

Source information,Wikipedia        Happy modeling      Crackers  

Alba shares a Latin root with Albino; the Roman name for the land of the Britons was Albion, from the white cliffs of Dover.

The pressing need for ships of all sizes often meant that British ships were built with green lumber.  American ship builders had the luxury of dry-seasoned lumber, and in quantities which allowed a narrower frame spacing than British ships  That frame spacing narrowed even further with all the riders, knees, and the like set between them.  Add in plnking to  superior scantling, and you get ships that can resist iron cannon shot.

Side bit of trivia, a horticulturalist at my alma mater, Texas A&M, Dr,. Ness was the first to hybridize (American) "English" Oak, Quercus Alba, with "American" Oak, Q. Virginiana.  Which was quite the marvel for the oak lumber industry but did not affect the sailing ship world so very much.  Not having hybridizing until 1890.

Beg to differ with you CapnMac82, with all due respects. Some Ships built on contract in North America for the Royal Navy did have green wood in their construction. A bad example of that, is the 44 gun, H.M.S. AMERICA, built at Portsmouth, New Hampshire by Natheniel Meserve during the years 1749-1750.The AMERICA sailed to England, but was broken up in 1757 due to extensive dry rot, because the ship was built with green timber. The vessel must have been really in bad condition, as all warships in the Royal Navy were in demand during the height of the Seven Years War with France (1756-1763) Another example is the H.M.S. BOSTON, which shared a similiar fate as the AMERICA.

The model of the AMERICA is interesting, as it is the oldest known model of a British ship built in North America. It is not known if this model was rigged, as it suffered rough handling over the years and had to be restored by the Smithsonian Institution. It is now on display at the Portsmouth Athenaeum, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where it was first donated in 1820.

Happy modeling     Crackers  

From what I have read the Constitution was framed from Live Oak not White Oak. The original wood came from Gascoigne Bluff and was milled near St Simons Ga. According to the article 60 acres of trees were needed to supply the wood. Because of a scarcity of Live Oak during one of the restorations Red Oak was substituted but was found to rot extremely fast. For the latest restoration Live Oak harvested after Hurrican Hugo was donated by the City of Charleston as well as a donation from the International Paper Company.

Live Oak is prized for ship framing because of the natural curves that conform to the shape of ship timbers. Whether the planking might have been White Oak is a good question.