Artist's Conception of Zheng-He's Flagship

In South Australia I was born
Heave away, haul away
In South Australia, round Cape Horn
We're bound for South Australia

Haul away you rollin' boys
Heave away, haul away
Haul away you rollin' boys
We're bound for South Australia

The Sultana was a tax boat, sporting 3 pounders fore and aft. Osage Orange was planted in the flats of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois as hedge row in corn fields. That's where they were able to get the lumber for the Sultana reproduction keel in Chesterton, they found it in a cornfield that was being turned in to fields of roofs.

BTW the other infamous Sultana was found under about 40 feet of Mississippi river silt just North of Memphis. That's not to far from Vicksburg (interestingly Vicksburg is no longer a river port--perhaps Mr Lincoln did have the right idea?)

Off Topic--I find it interesting that people often remember the colossal technological failures--side paddles on ocean ships--Brunell was a brilliant steamship designer and the Great Eastern was a success as a transatlantic cable layer. But it had those silly less than useless sidewheels.

It reminds me of the infatuation people have with the 'ordinary' bicycle---big wheel in front, little back. It's one of the most ornr'y two wheeled beasts ever ridden. The 'ordinary' was common for only ten years, as it quickly disappeared from use when it became obsolete. In 1885 the Rover safety bicycle used a diamond frame and a chain drive, much safer, much faster! The 'ordinary' became as popular as a phat chique at the orgy.

But everyone remembers the 'ordinary' bicycle, and not for the technological deathtrap it is (I've got scars), but as an oddity--like sidewheel on an ocean liner.

Rap

You've actually ridden one of those high-wheelers??

When asked of the builders at the Chestertown tent, we were told that since the keel was so girthy, itwas the last of the old growth osage cause fence row stuff is awfully gnarly and not long enough of trunk to run a keel.The keel was bigger than a "summer beam" I didnt ever notice whethre the keel was plyed.We were never told that it was from a fence row. Osage is a pest tree in S Pa and Md and it grows like swamp maple in multiple trunks. The old stuff was huge.
rap, have you ever been to downrigging day at Chestertown? They bring the Pride and Sultana and a few other workboats , "buyboats" and a 9 log canoe and pungy for winter . Its in the 1st weekend in Nov and. Heres a picture of the keel.(I was wrong , the entire keel was osage orange , not just a keelson. This has to be an old growth piece of stump and not some fence row tree. It would take many years to get that thickSULTANA CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS

If it has two wheels I'll ride it.

When you ride in a parade and everyone screams and waves and expects you to wave back--one problem the handlebars are connected to the pedals, and every mash on the pedal has to be fought through the handlebars, and you can't wave, just smile and try not to think about all those people you can fall on.

Freewheeling isn't too bad except for two things--one's bad--the other's really bad. The bad thing is finding spinning pedals with your feet without barkin' yer shins. The really bad thing is a header, that's landing square on your face as you rotate with legs trapped under the handle bars. In long downhills, the proper technique is to put your legs over the handlebars.

Good things happened though, I learned to ride a unicycle by riding an 'ordinary' as I often found myself on one wheel (the front). There ain't nothing ordinary about an 'ordinary', a step mount on the frame, just above the rear wheel, really really bad brakes (fortunately no freewheel), and you can't coast (unfortunately no freewheel).

If you ride a bicycle, you ought to try one of these just to see how fortunate you are.

Rap

Re: Artist's Conception of Zheng-He's Flagship

Actually, our main argument is that you need evidence that your idea is true, not merely that it is plausible.

Thanks for bringin us back to the point that started this whole clambake. Ive enjoyed myself tonite guys. I have spent 4 hours by my clockonawall. Thats time I shall have to pay for because I was supposed to be working up some budgets after supper and now Ill be up late again. OHBOY I kin lissen to ARt BEll and hear up with what gungas gonna come, next.

My uncle by marriage was a waterman, born in Chesterton, moved to Indiana and married my Aunt and moved to Annapolis to get close to the bay, his Canoe, and crabshacks.

Never been to the Chesterton downrigging, but I was given a tour of the Sultana by my cuz'n while it was docked at Chesterton--in June, met the skipper and one of the landsmen (both female) and then we went crabbin---small and getting thin--not many watermen left.

As for Osage Orange, That keel is one hawg of a piece of wood, but somehow I feel there's a joint in there somewhere, particularly since the picture of the keelstem displayed a mightyfine persuading mallet. The Sultana is a good 60/65 feet at the waterline (I'd guess in the neighborhood of 60 tonnes), I don't remember hearing of a sawlog that long anywhere.

I've got three Chesapeake Cuz'ns really, ones a recreational stinkboater, another mades a career on the water, and the third works for the guv'ment. They're pretty active in the Eastern Shore sailing and boating and even didn't laugh when my son and I arrived in Annapolis in an Old Town Canoe.

Rap

When i was a boy, my father sent me off to the East River basin in Annapolis to get sailing lessons. I was an annoyance and interferred with day-long scotch and beer drinking. We sailed around the bay in 25-foot sloops, each with its bored, born-and-bred on the water teen-aged kid on board. Those guys were burned brick red from the sun, and their feet were stained a similar color from the red clay/sand mixture of the river banks and the shores of the bay there. I did learn to get quite good handling a small sloop, although nothing like those kids. I remember being envious in a casual sort of way, wishing i'd grown up on the water. I have no regrets, but given the opportunity to do it over, i'd grow up on the water. The sea has tugged at my heart for as long as i can remember. I've usually lived near the sea, until the last 20 years or so, but it haunts me still, whether near or far away.

Im up and finished my budgets.
Set, that was some neat memory. From your description I could find those kids within 20 miles. Your forensic key was "Their feet were brick red" That means they were North of the Patapsco in the Potomac Clay, which is a deep red ,"brick clay"
It still is a beautiful area, the Chesapeake. However, its in big trouble with species in major decline.
Rap, your ref to "stinkpotters" is the way the bay has developed. On any given Sat in the Summer, he channels are choked with boats like the beltway in rush hour.
The best times for sailing are from labor day till about late November, when the weekenders have to take their larvae back to school.
I looked back at the bigass mallet in the keel shot. I remember that the keel nose was fit to the keel by lotsa Norwegian steam. The jointers they had were skilled at cutting these massive dovetails and dados. Then they would peg in some "sister beams" to stiffen. The keelson was then laid over the whole thing to further stiffen the boat, fasten the floors and make mounts for the auxiliary engine (a large diesel which was purchased through community donations).