# Ships in gravy **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 10, 2012, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398 "2012-02-10T11:23:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/21 "2012-02-10T18:20:34Z")
♬ In the gravy Yes, you can sail the seven seas In the gravy Yes, you can put your mind at ease In the gravy Come on now, people, make a stand In the gravy, in the gravy Can’t you see we need a hand In the gravy Come on, protect the motherland In the gravy Come on and join your fellow man In the gravy Come on people, and make a stand In the gravy, in the gravy, in the gravy ♬ (This, or something like it, was actually used in an ad for gravy mix on British TV at one time.) ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/22 "2012-02-10T18:26:43Z")
> [@brossa](#): > > Why not an Amphirol or other screw-drive based design? Ship propellers are already basically screws. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/23 "2012-02-10T18:46:17Z")
.. > [@njtt](#): > > ♬…In the gravy > Come on and join your fellow man… ♬ Obviously a song about sausage gravy. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/24 "2012-02-10T19:03:13Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > .. > Obviously a song about sausage gravy. I’m so glad I wasn’t drinking something when I read this post. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/25 "2012-02-10T23:05:27Z")
Yum, chips in gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/26 "2012-02-11T01:24:12Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > Dunno if seawater is taken on board and desalinized to use for other purposes. Humans are curiously fond of fresh water for drinking, cooking, washing, and so forth. So any vessel that plans to be at sea for any extended period is apt to have an evaporator or similar device on board. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/27 "2012-02-11T01:39:26Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > I believe ships take on seawater to use (after desalinizing it) as steam in the turbines, for those that use steam turbines. > > Dunno if seawater is taken on board and desalinized to use for other purposes. (Cooling the engines? Drinking water? Air conditioning via chilled water?) Forget any steam ship. Not only could you not run the evaps, but the turbine condensers would not work. Sea water is used in the fire main, condensers, lube oil coolers, and any diesel engine cooling systems. So now you are left with hovercraft or sail. But both would have to carry fresh water. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/28 "2012-02-11T03:56:01Z")
Ships would use infant labour to clean their hulls–most likely with some chewing confection. Too regional? ---
**Author:** ![figure9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@figure9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/figure9)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/29 "2012-02-11T04:47:54Z")
Is anybody picturing an iceberg sized gravy lump? ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/30 "2012-02-11T05:45:40Z")
After we’re done talking about gravy, how about Jell-O? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/31 "2012-02-11T06:06:57Z")
Not yet - I’m sure there’s some stock jokes that people haven’t done yet. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/32 "2012-02-13T02:31:39Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > > [@brossa](#): > > > > Why not an Amphirol or other screw-drive based design? > > Ship propellers are already basically screws. However, ship screws are designed for the purely liquid environment of oceans, rivers, and lakes. The [amphirol and related drum screws](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw-propelled_vehicle) are specifically designed for the higher viscosity of semi-solids such as swamp muck and would probably need to be considered for a body of water with the consistency of gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/33 "2012-02-13T02:45:57Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Not yet - I’m sure there’s some stock jokes that people haven’t done yet. I see what you did there. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/34 "2012-02-13T02:56:51Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > Forget any steam ship. Not only could you not run the evaps, but the turbine condensers would not work. > > Sea water is used in the fire main, condensers, lube oil coolers, and any diesel engine cooling systems. > > So now you are left with hovercraft or sail. But both would have to carry fresh water. I think this is unduly pessimistic. Ships use seawater for various purposes because they can do so easily. But there are plenty of large pieces of machinery that operate on land without a nearby effectively infinite source of water. They just carry their own water, and use air radiators for cooling. Ships would just have to change design. They wouldn’t become an impossibility. And gravy could be used for cooling\*, you’d just have to use cooling systems that could cope with high viscosity liquid. \*Assuming it’s not hot gravy ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/35 "2012-02-13T03:17:55Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > After we’re done talking about gravy, how about Jell-O? I’m not sure if anything could hoof it through gelatin; submarines couldn’t hide… ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/36 "2012-02-13T06:12:55Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > I believe ships take on seawater to use (after desalinizing it) as steam in the turbines, for those that use steam turbines. > > Dunno if seawater is taken on board and desalinized to use for other purposes. (Cooling the engines? Drinking water? Air conditioning via chilled water?) They take on seawater for use as ballast (without desalination). ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398/37 "2012-02-13T08:15:25Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > I see what you did there. 😃 I shall rue the day I asked. “roux” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ships-in-gravy/612398.md?page=1)