[memen]

Frederick Chouteau, one of the early traders on the Kansas river, mentions one of these boats which was used on this stream, as follows: " The keel boat which my brothers had in 1828, I think, was the first which navigated the Kansas river. After I came the keel boat was used altogether on the Kaw River [ Kansas River]. We would take a load of goods up in August and keep it there until the following spring, when we would bring it down loaded with peltries. At the mouth of the Kaw we shipped on steamboat to St. Louis. The keel-boats were made in St. Louis. They were rib-made boats, shaped like the hull of a steamboat and decked over. They were about 8 or 10 feet across the deck and 5 or 6 feet below deck. They were rigged with one mast and had a rudder, though we generally took the rudder off and used a long oar for steering. There were four row locks on each side. Going up the Kaw river we pulled all the way; about 15 miles a day. Going down it sometimes took a good many days, as it did going up, on account of the low water. I have taken a month to go down from my trading house at American Chief [ or Mission] creek, many times lightening the boat with skiffs; other times going down in a day. I never went with the boat above my trading house at the American Chief village. No other traders except myself and brothers ran keel boats on the Kaw. We pulled up sometimes by the willows which lined the banks of the river .”

[Xobbit]

The crew of a keel boat engaged in the fur trade frequently consisted of as many as 100 men and was called a "brigade," this number including many hunters and trappers who were not regular boatmen. Very few of these men regularly rode the boat. Most every boat carried a swivel gun and the crew went armed. more

[marktaylor142]

Keelboats were a type of craft much used by the fur trappers and traders on the Missouri River. Even after the introduction of the steamship on the Missouri these boats continued to see use, especially in the down river direction. These were long, narrow boats with a shallow draft, generally not more than 2 feet when loaded, and were intended for use in shallow rivers. They were built with a central keel, and with ribs that were covered with plank. Keelboats were usually from 40 to 80 feet long, with a 15 to 20 foot beam. They were "cigar-shaped," i. e. pointed at each end after the manner of the pirogue of the French or Canadian voyageur. The middle part of the boat might be left open, but usually it was covered with a deck or cabin. All around the gunwales ran a cleated footway, known as the "running board," twelve to eighteen inches wide, where the crew walked when poling the boat. Some keelboats carried a mast for putting up a sail when favorable winds blew. However, the mast often proved to be more of a hindrance than help, and few keelboats had one. Seats were present at the bow for rowers, ranging from four to twelve in number. Keelboats had a carrying capacity of 15 to 50 tons, but usually less than 30 tons. Construction of a keelboat cost from $2,000 to $3,000 each when manufactured in the early 1800’s. By comparison, at this time gold had a value of about $20 an ounce. more

[mcdett]

Keelboats were propelled upstream primarily by human muscle. When the river was shallow, the boat was propelled by setting poles. Running boards ran along each side of the keelboat, along which a line of men would walk while pushing a pole set in the bottom of the river. When an individual reached the rear of the boat he would lift up his pole and return to the front of the boat and repeat the process. If the river was too deep for setting poles, cordelling was another method of propelling the craft. The cordelle was a strong cable, frequently as much as 300 yards long, fastened to the mast by which the boat was pulled up stream by a force of 20 to 30 men, all the while fighting their way through brush, driftwood, mudholes and other shoreline obstacles. If there was a danger of Indian attacks, the men cordelling might also carry their guns strapped to their backs. Oars were also used, and under favorable wind and river conditions, a sail might be used. However, due to fickle winds and the meandering nature of the river, the mast and sail caused possibly more trouble than assistance. Many a keelboat was swamped or capsized as a result of the mast catching in a low lying tree branch, or a sudden shift in wind directions. A distance of about 15 miles a day was considered a good day's work, requiring the most arduous labor from all hands from daylight to dark to accomplish. Another method of propelling the boat was called warping, which was generally a last resort because of the effort involved. A skiff would carry a cordelle upstream and fasten the end to a snag or a tree. The men in the bow of the boat would draw the boat forward by means of a windless or winch, or even by pulling the cordelle in hand-over-hand. This was the most laborious of all methods, and progress of six miles in a day was considered good. here

[reQunix]

For more information about Keel-Boats see: more

[painge]

This sentence suggests that there was not a reliance on boats from a particular region, and it suggests that there may have been some boat experimentation going on, who knows, as like the previous citation this is an isolated sentence with no context in which to frame it, and therefore is somewhat circumstancial. I am aware that some readers might consider these last two hypotheses as being ‘woolly headed thinking’, and all I can say in my defence is that this is research in progress, and this is my forum for airing possibilities, even if they appear ‘woolly’ in the extreme.

[woola20]

GD144/94/15. Items to be purchased in Hamburg (Hillswick, Oct 1770) – 200ft one and a quarter inch oak planks, 150ft of oak fit for small boats timbers, 20ft ditto, plank one and a half feet broad x two and half inch oak for a stem and stern post. Shetland Archive. here

[alexaverbuch]

5. Økland, K, M. (2014) Oselvar – the living boat, Publication forthcoming. [links]

[didiertomas2385]

14. GD144/95/10. Shetland Archive.

[neolith2099]

A longitudinal model of half of a vessel's hull. In the 19th century a primary design tool with most American sailing vessel designs starting out as carved half models, from which dimensions for the full-sized hull would be taken.
Read more , made from a number of boards or lifts Lifts

[Keefe]

In shipbuilding and maintenance, the structure that supports a vessel upright on land and in which a vessel can be moved. under the ship’s hull and greased the ways Ways

[Belly]

The keel Keel

[bittersweet]

The modified full-keel form features generally good handling and directional stability plus reduced wetted surface, compared to her true full-keel sister. The yachts can perform well in all conditions and, as they are generally of heavier displacement than contemporary ballasted-fin boats, they do not give away much in light air, despite the added wetted area. A yacht with a modified full keel can sail right up with the best of them if she is given sail area commensurate with her typically heavier displacement.

[andika]

The highly stylized shark fin has extreme rake and a sloping tip chord.

[wiskathecat]

However, the formation of vortices can be greatly reduced by using end plates, or wings, to change the flow direction and eliminate crossflow. My own preference, for a fin of average span, is for an end plate that is but a few inches wider than the maximum width of the fin bottom. We tested an actual yacht with such an end plate on one side only and noted a substantial improvement in performance when she was heeled so that the end plate was on the leeward side. Where the draft is shoal and the fin span is on the small side, then a wider end plate, or even a wing, might prove beneficial. However, a wide wing can be a structural weakness, particularly if the boat goes hard aground and has to be towed off, or pounds on the rocks for any length of time. [links]

[jimmy]

The building of Juanita was, for all involved, a fascination learning experience. Working from a set of detailed plans, a full-sized lofting was laid down. Construction began with the ceremonial “Keel Laying” in the Maritime Museum gallery as part of the “Messing About in Boats” exhibit. Juanita was designed for sawn frame construction; each frame is fashioned from 2 or 3 futtocks that were cut to maximize the directional strength of the wood grain. Plywood patterns were made for each shaped piece, starting with the futtocks, stem & stem knee, sternpost & knee and lower transom. Vast quantities of fragrant yellow cedar shavings were produced in the building of this backbone as each piece was shaped using hand planes. (One volunteer spent all his time sharpening blades.) The futtocks were joined with half-lap joints using locust treenails that swell in place, making for tighter joints at the same time as giving more flexibility than metal fastenings. here

[nikileshsa]

Once the planking was completed, the strengthening timbers were installed: seat risers, gunwales, breast hook & quarter knees. Thwarts and their knees were next. The contrast in woods used for the floorboards (unfinished yellow cedar) & stern grating (varnished mahogany) was an aesthetic choice. In keeping with the traditional techniques, the planking & thwarts were first finished with a witches’ brew of pine tar, beeswax & linseed oil. Subsequently, Cetol has been used on the bright work. [links]

[goldcoin]

Juanita is stolen

[dmp1ce]

The assembled frames, stem & sternpost were then centered, plumbed, leveled and bolted to the keel. Rib bands and cross spalls were installed to provide support and to keep everything fair. These were removed as planking proceeded. [links]

[ydddert]

Our Flagship