Old windlass

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Anybody any idea what ship this windlass came off?  It`s on the prom at New Brighton

 

Could it be The Great Eastern?………She was broken up, only a few miles from here!

 

Bob …………………clutching at straws!

Edited By Bob Abell on 03/08/2009 15:32:08

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

 

I have a cut away drawing somewhere showing the GE and its deck equipment….I will try to find it and see if the types are the same.

 

Meanwhile here are some images of the GE when she was cable laying.

 

 

Paul

Edited By The Fat Controller on 03/08/2009 16:43:09

[Len OchiltreeParticipant @lenochiltree67043]

Oops sorry I thought the heading was Old Windbag.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Len!……………..Where`ve yer bin, La?

 

Meckin out new?

 

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks Paul

 

The third picture brought back memories of GE construction days……….15 months ago!…..How time flies?

 

The steering wheel is actually, a telegraph……..to the Geezers at the back, manning an eight gang rudder wheel………………..but you knew that anyway?

 

Can you imagine in this day and age…………..taking a multicore cable from Cornwall……..all the way to New York?………………..Can`t be done!

 

It actually snapped once and they found the end after several months later!…………..What a useful ship…GE was?

 

Three cheers for GE!……..Hip Hip Hip………………….Bobrunell

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Gosh, I was not aware that the G.E had cannon !  Most interesting. Ashley

[Len OchiltreeParticipant @lenochiltree67043]

Hi Bob,

I have been reading the Forum,but didnt have any comments.

I have some ideas but I look in my workshop/shed and it is full of boats.

On the Horizon is my iminent Retirement, 65 on 30th October which is 12 weeks and 3 days off, not that I am counting!!

 

Len

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Congratulations Len, on your forthcoming retirement…………..You enjoy yourself and take things easy.

 

You`ll find life quite strange at first………………..Too much spare time on your hands etc…………..and you can only make so many boats, before the house is full!……………..I`m in that category now!

 

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

 

Haven’t found the image of the capstan yet but here are a couple of photos for you.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks for the pictures, Paul

 

I like anything relative to GE………Can`t make out that strange shaped white tulip shaped thing????…on the lower picture

 

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

 

These series of images were made when GE was fitted for cable laying but I have no idea what the “tulip” is for.

 

Here are a few more, rather sad images of the GE during her last days on the Mersey.

 

 

Advertising Lewis’s department store. 

 

 

Just a rotting hulk.

 

Being broken up, it took 200 men 2 years to complete.

 

 

And to give everybody an impression of just how big the GE was this is an image from when she was being fitted out.

Click onto the picture and compare the size of GE’s hull to the other ships and boats.

 

Paul

 

Edited By The Fat Controller on 05/08/2009 06:35:31

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks Paul

 

On the lower picture, it shows what looks like handrailing……..but it`s at least twice as high as a passenger. It also appears on a few other pictures too.

 

It could be a temporary cover supporting rail whilst fitting out?

 

It was a truly awesome ship!

 

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

sometimes for more breeze below decks, my understanding is that they rigged canvas “scoops” up on the ventilation cowls to catch and funnel more air into same. I offer that as a Tulip explanation. Did the GE really have cannon???   Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ash

 

GE had these cannons fitted when the ship was used for cable laying……………..I assume for the far eastern areas?

 

You could be right about the tulip thingy?……………being a wind gatherer………………must have been quite warm below decks with five giant boilers in action?

 

Bob

[PierreParticipant @pierre]

I agree with Ashley – that is a windsock – you can see it is rigged exactly in line with the apparent wind over the deck, as shown by the smoke.

As a matter of interest, as an apprentice in the 70s carrying a cargo of copra from Lourenco Marques to Bremen, we still used these to reduce temperatures in the holds – the cargo was prone to spontaneous combustion above a certain temperature.

Pierre

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

 

Whilst delving into the depths of the interweb I came across this site

 http://www.atlantic-cable.com/Cableships/GreatEastern/

and I thought of you.

 

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Paul

 

Thanks for the link……………It`s very informative and the next link…………”Maritime Quest”………..has some very nice large detailed construction photos too

 

Thanks a lot……………….What a great ship!………..Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Found this picture from TFC showing more tulip shaped air vents on Great Eastern

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