Comments on: The Mystical Christ https://habitablezone.com/2013/12/21/the-mystical-christ/ Sat, 18 Apr 2026 06:56:03 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2013/12/21/the-mystical-christ/#comment-28982 ER Sun, 22 Dec 2013 01:39:22 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=41536#comment-28982 Wooden ships were notorius leakers, especially in bad weather, and large quantities of sea water constantly came into the hull where it was all guided by strategically placed holes cut in the decks so that it eventually wound up at the lowest point of the ship, the bilges. Added to the usual stench of rotting plankton, you could also find leakage from the ship's cargo; beer, oil, rum, and any other liquid that leaked out of casks stored in the hold. Added to this was vomit, blood, spoiled food and the feces and urine of men too lazy to go up on deck and relieve themselves in the heads. It must have been pretty foul. The bilges were monitored daily by lowering a probe into the sump, the lowest point on the ship where fluid tended to collect. Once a day they were pumped out, usually for an hour or two, but it could be much longer if the hull was stressed in a seaway and taking on water. In a bad storm, the pumping went on continuously. But along the keel, below the ballast stones, there was a residue that was never fully removed. It must have been dreadful. Wooden ships were notorius leakers, especially in bad weather, and large quantities of sea water constantly came into the hull where it was all guided by strategically placed holes cut in the decks so that it eventually wound up at the lowest point of the ship, the bilges. Added to the usual stench of rotting plankton, you could also find leakage from the ship’s cargo; beer, oil, rum, and any other liquid that leaked out of casks stored in the hold. Added to this was vomit, blood, spoiled food and the feces and urine of men too lazy to go up on deck and relieve themselves in the heads. It must have been pretty foul.

The bilges were monitored daily by lowering a probe into the sump, the lowest point on the ship where fluid tended to collect. Once a day they were pumped out, usually for an hour or two, but it could be much longer if the hull was stressed in a seaway and taking on water. In a bad storm, the pumping went on continuously. But along the keel, below the ballast stones, there was a residue that was never fully removed. It must have been dreadful.

]]> By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2013/12/21/the-mystical-christ/#comment-28981 Jody Sun, 22 Dec 2013 00:52:23 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=41536#comment-28981 Oh go to hull. Oh go to hull.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2013/12/21/the-mystical-christ/#comment-28976 ER Sat, 21 Dec 2013 20:56:19 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=41536#comment-28976 Bilge. Bilge.

]]> By: FrankC https://habitablezone.com/2013/12/21/the-mystical-christ/#comment-28970 FrankC Sat, 21 Dec 2013 20:22:09 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=41536#comment-28970 nice nice

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