I grew up in South Hylton where the Cretehawser was basically dumped near Claxheugh Rock (good luck pronouncing that if you’re not a Mackem!) Proper fun 70’s and 80’s adventure to be had getting on board at low tide. Can’t imagine the authorities being happy with kids doing this today!
It had lots of stories associated with it and it was a strange thing to see just sitting there in a shipbuilding town. Happy to see it get a mention on the site [1] and there’s an article with better photos here [2].
Still alive and well in Civil Engineering departments across North America. Their equivalent to Formula Student racing teams in Mechanical Engineering.
There's a concrete ship wrecked just offshore of Cape May Point in NJ. It has been deteriorating for many years and soon nothing will remain above the waterline.
At the southern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore there are 9 concrete ships, left over from WWII, that were deliberately sunk in a large arc to form a break-water.
It’s at a state park called Kiptopeke. You can rent kayaks and paddle out to see them up close.
It turns out that if you don't need your ship to go fast, all you need to do is have a structure that can produce enough displacement to be bouyant and stable. You could carve a ship out of marble if you wanted.
Interesting point about the use of unconventional materials like ice and sawdust. It makes me think of how often we underestimate what’s possible when we just change the materials we use. My buddy once tried building a small boat out of recycled plastics, and while it didn't quite float perfectly, it was a cool experiment that sparked a ton of discussions on sustainability.
Looking at these concrete ships, it's wild to think about how they were born out of wartime necessity. I wonder if there’s a modern parallel—are there any innovative materials or structures we might see emerging from, say, the space race or climate change? It’s like pushing the boundaries of what we consider "normal" in engineering.
I’ve also noticed that sometimes the wackiest ideas can lead to breakthroughs in traditional practices. Like, could using materials that seem unsuitable lead to new designs that could improve shipbuilding for the future? Makes you wonder what other creative paths are out there just waiting to be explored.
While fascinating, apotropaions are not that relevant to shipbuilding: the ships float by themselves and do not generally require supernatural protection, against Catholics or otherwise.
It had lots of stories associated with it and it was a strange thing to see just sitting there in a shipbuilding town. Happy to see it get a mention on the site [1] and there’s an article with better photos here [2].
[1] https://thecretefleet.com/wwi-uk
[2] https://fabulousnorth.com/cretehawser-wreck/
What?
https://www.asce.org/communities/student-members/conferences...
It’s at a state park called Kiptopeke. You can rent kayaks and paddle out to see them up close.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kiptopeke-s-concrete-fle...
It turns out that if you don't need your ship to go fast, all you need to do is have a structure that can produce enough displacement to be bouyant and stable. You could carve a ship out of marble if you wanted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Habakkuk
Looking at these concrete ships, it's wild to think about how they were born out of wartime necessity. I wonder if there’s a modern parallel—are there any innovative materials or structures we might see emerging from, say, the space race or climate change? It’s like pushing the boundaries of what we consider "normal" in engineering.
I’ve also noticed that sometimes the wackiest ideas can lead to breakthroughs in traditional practices. Like, could using materials that seem unsuitable lead to new designs that could improve shipbuilding for the future? Makes you wonder what other creative paths are out there just waiting to be explored.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch
https://mythresults.com/alaska-special-2
The second apotropaic gorgon was Joyce's stream of consciousness, evoking images of anti-Catholic gorgons.
Paglia, Camille SS. 49 The Birth of the Western Eye
[1]: https://archive.org/stream/263791532sexualpersonaeartanddeca...