Let’s say that in the year 1900, I was a rich man. Let’s also say that I wanted to send an expedition to some remote corner of coastal Africa. What sort of ship would I charter? Would the ship drop the expedition off and come back at a specified point to pick them up again, or would the ship wait for the expedition near the coast? How would people get from the ship to land?
How big would the risk of piracy be? I find it hard to imagine one of those iconic metal ships being raided, but did it happen? And would that even be the type of ship I’d hire?
What could sink this type of ship? Would a coral reef be enough?
For its size, Africa doesn’t have a lot of great natural harbors, and by 1900 the few it does have were hardly remote and uninhabited. You’ll need to sneak your party pretty far inland to escape notice by the imperial powers, so the best bet would be to send them off on a small steam launch you’ve towed behind your main steamship.
Most inland expeditions would hire dozens if not hundreds of bearers to haul all the stuff they’d need, including boats that would have to be carried past the rapids. But When Cornelius Vanderbilt attacked the rapids in Cental America, he chose to use a steamer, with winches anchored to the banks of the river to haul his boat over the rough stretches. That would allow a lower profile than a huge expedition.
You’ll have to go back further than 1900, though. By then Africa was carved up and held by some very jealous Europeans. Most of them would kick your guys out, but the Belgians, keen to hide the atrocities they were committing, would more likely “disappear” your employees.
Wht could sink your ship? One of my favorite Google Earth features is the shipwreck locator. Enable that and look around the map of Africa at what really happened.
Alright, thanks for all the answers guys! Africa was just an example, not exactly what I had in mind. Still, information about African politics may not be useful, but it sure is interesting.
A few quick questions:
Would a medium-sized ship be made of wood or iron? I’ve seen images/sources describing both, but 1900 seems to be muffled. Would most steam ships have sails too? Could they make an intercontinental journey with just steam, if the sails/masts were disabled?
In a medium-sized steamship, how well-protected is the driver? Is the cabin protected by wood, glass, or iron?
How hard is it to get one of these ships out of control? If someone got in a fight with the pilot, and the wheel of the ship (these ships used wheels, right?) was thrown around wildly, would the ship go out of control? Enough to hit a reef?
The ship was used in Puget Sound and what is now called the Salish Sea. I suspect it could make the voyage to Africa under the right conditions, but I couldn’t be authoritative on that.
Also: There is some confusion about the length. In my first post I quoted 111.5 feet, but other articles say it’s longer. I assume the first length is the length at the waterline.
Hm, wasn’t she up for sale in the mid to late 90s? I seem to remember a listing, where it was claimed she was 80% restored and an asking price of just under $100 000? I just remember the motor yacht I am thinking of was used as some sort of admiralty vessel back in WW2. I remember thinking to myself at the time when I spotted it in the magazine that we could have bought that for what we paid for the farm, and not had to worry about having to sell if mrAru got shipped off to a new duty station because all the bases he has served at have had berthing cheaper than civilian docks =)
I’m gonna guess that the number of outfits willing to hand over an expedition-sized vessel to an unknown captain and crew has never been large, and in 1900 was vanishingly small.
Coincidentally, right now I’m reading a non-fiction account of a solo round-the-world voyage that occurred in 1895-1898. It’s just one guy in sailboat (so he was extremely vulnerable) but he was chased by pirates off the coast of Morocco and was boarded by Native American raiders in the Strait of Magellan. Also, he changed his course from the Mediterranean and the Red Sea after being advised of pirates in both bodies of water.
I’m not sure what, exactly, a longshore pirate is, but it sounds like the piracy situation was similar to what it is today: large ships and military are probably okay, smaller vessels are at risk.
I have always loved motor vessels like her … beats the living hell out of the modern crap that looks so ultra modern.
Couldn’t you see Theda Bara and Rudolph Valentino sharing a bottle of champagne on the deck, with Humphry Bogard and Peter Lorre bickering over a Maltese Falcon statuette while Sidney Greenstreet chortles in the background while headed in to port in Morocco?
At one time bare boat charters were common. bond and insurance was required. the insurance co. would set the rates based on the experience of the person chartering the boat. The flag that the ship is flying would determine what liciences the mates and engineers would need, so they would not be unknown.
A medium sized ship steamship of the late 1800’s would probably be iron. Few sail ships had steam, but some of the early ones did. By 1900 it was either steam or sail. On an ocean going ship the wheel houses were enclosed. steal on top and sides with glass to the front. No spinning the wheel (help) full one way would not put the ship out of control. It would just turn not skid. could it damage the ship? Only if the ship was in a restricted passage. If near a reef and turned to the reef it could hit it. With the helmsman (pilot) occupied if anything is near if could hit it. Depending on the speed weight of the ship and how faar the helm was turned would determin how fast it would turn. A small freigter at full speed 10 to 16 knotts takes a long time to turn.
Alright, let’s say as the (iron) ship is making her approach to land, she hits a reef and is badly damaged (Breached hull), forced to make landfall. Any way of repairing her on the beach? How long would this take? If not, are the sailors just marooned until another ship comes by?
It depends.
If the bottom is torn completely off there she sits. If just a few major holes that cause major flooding. Depends on the skill of the crew and damage done. If the ship has acess to wood and steel plates where a patch could be put on then it could be pumped out and sailed to a near port.
Could take from a few days to months depends on the amount of damage. The wave damage caused until the ship could get refloated. And the damage to engineering spaces. The torrie Cannon was never refloated.
You want a tramp steamer. A ship’s broker will cater for everything, including weapons. Go to Edmund Twister, 102 Leadenhall St., London and mention my name.
Actually it’s a tiny office at the back of an alley behind that address.
And Mr. Twister, he dead. Ask for the managing director, Mr. Toby Crook*.