# Would Noah's Ark be seaworthy?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-noahs-ark-be-seaworthy/643412>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 8, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-noahs-ark-be-seaworthy/643412 "2012-12-08T15:12:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-noahs-ark-be-seaworthy/643412/41 "2012-12-10T11:15:53Z")

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> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#):
>
> Nobody has mentioned the problems with the rain.
> 
> To cover all the land with water, the rate of rainfall must have been tremendous. way heavier rainfall than any wooden boat structure could endure. Heck, i doubt that a modern aircraft carrier could withstand that rate of rainfall.

The problems with a literal interpretation of the story are actually [much greater than that](http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-noahs-ark.html#flood). If the waters camein the form of rain, the seas would boil, due to gravitational potential energy being converted to heat. Noah and company would be broiled.

> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> I thought the water came from under the earth as well.

And if the water came from under the ground, you’d have the same problem. It’s hot down there. Hence the utility of [geothermal power](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_power).

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-noahs-ark-be-seaworthy/643412/42 "2012-12-10T13:46:54Z")

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> [@stui\_magpie](#):
>
> Flatulent Elephants?

I believe Noah used that to power the winches. Good thing the technology was available, and Noah was one smart cookie, you bet.

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**Author:** ![Razncain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-noahs-ark-be-seaworthy/643412/43 "2012-12-10T14:42:43Z")

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Duplicating Noah’s ark by building it to some scale model won’t do, because it’s the size that will do it in and cause it to leak like a sieve! Noah and company could not have bailed the massive amounts of water that would have been taken in.

It would have needed iron straps or some other metal to hold it all together. Noah’s ark was well before the Iron age, and there is also no mention of anything other than gopher wood. Look at any large wooden ship, and you’ll see how important iron or other metals come into play into holding it all together.

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