Burning gas!?

Remember the Maine

"At 9:40 on the evening of 15 February, a terrible explosion on board shattered the stillness in the harbor - virtually obliterating the forward third of the ship. The remaining wreckage rapidly settled to the bottom of the harbor. Most of the crew were sleeping or resting in the enlisted quarters in the forward part of the ship when the explosion occurred. Two hundred and sixty-six men lost their lives as a result of the disaster: 260 died in the explosion or shortly thereafter, and six more died later from injuries.

Spanish officials and the crew of a nearby steamer acted quickly in rescuing survivors and caring for the wounded. The attitude and actions of the former allayed initial suspicions that hostile action caused the explosion.

A board of inquiry was immediately formed to determine the reason for the destruction. The inquiry, conducted onsite, lasted four weeks. The condition of the submerged wreck and the lack of technical expertise prevented the board from being as thorough as later investigations. In the end, they concluded that a mine had detonated under the ship. The board did not attempt to fix blame for the placement of the device.

When the Navy's verdict was announced, the American public reacted with predictable outrage. Fed by inflammatory articles in the "Yellow Press" blaming Spain for the disaster, the public had already placed guilt on the Spanish government. Although he continued to press for a diplomatic settlement to the Cuban problem, President McKinley accelerated military preparations begun in January 1898 when an impasse appeared likely.


In 1911 the Navy Department ordered a second board of inquiry after Congress voted funds for the removal of the wreck of Maine from Havana Harbor. U.S. Army engineers built a cofferdam around the sunken battleship, thus exposing it, and giving naval investigators an opportunity to examine and photograph the wreckage in detail. Finding the bottom hull plates in the area of the reserve six-inch magazine bent inward and back, the 1911 board concluded that a mine had detonated under the magazine, causing the explosion that destroyed the ship.

Technical experts at the time of both investigations disagreed with the findings, believing that spontaneous combustion of coal in the bunker adjacent to the reserve six-inch magazine was the most likely cause of the explosion on board the ship. In 1976, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover published his book, "How the Battleship Maine Was Destroyed". The admiral became interested in the disaster and wondered if the application of modern scientific knowledge could determine the cause. He called on two experts on explosions and their effects on ship hulls. Using documentation gathered from the two official inquiries, as well as information on the construction and ammunition of Maine, the experts concluded that the damage caused to the ship was inconsistent with the external explosion of a mine. The most likely cause, they speculated, was spontaneous combustion of coal in the bunker next to the magazine.

Something to consider.

Wow!

WOW... A coal burning Roamer. That would be something to see. I'm in Sheboygan, WI. The gas prices here are $3.59 on the river and $3.72 at the marina last I checked. We haven't done any cruising yet this year.. mainely fishing. Our Roamer is co-owned by 2 couples so the way we look at it fuel prices for each of us is only half the pump price.

We run 2.5 to 3 mph to troll using 1 of the MerCruiser 454's @ 700 rpm. We'll run 1 engine for around 2 hours then switch the other engine for 2 hours to keep the fuel tanks level. I'm guessing we burn around 2 gallons/hour while trolling. There are several boats out from Sheboygan with most of the big boats being charters. We're about the only big non-charter out there though. Since 2 of us share the fuel cost it’s not bad. My thoughts if gas got to be unaffordable to weld a deeper keel on her, put a mast on her then I’d have a Roamer motorsailor.

Here on the Ohio River, we haven't stopped boating. We do take fewer long trips though. We used to be at Laughrey Island every weekend where this year, we're skipping a couple. We're lucky enough to have plenty of great riverbank to nose into so we spend some weekends there, a bit closer to home this year. It's going to have to hurt more than gas is now for us to stop, I'll tell ya that. It's just too nice out there to stop.
I am looking for alternatives though.... My 38 gets just about a mile per gallon, as do most.

Watching with interest on this thread.
Good topic!

Shangri-La, Your famous! (As if you didn't know) Last page in the BoatUS magazine July 07. A small picture of your green Roamer or as they say your "35' Chris-Craft"

Hi,

I would like to say as an experienced steel boat person that I just this last week enjoyed a jaunt around Seattle looking at boats and the area in general in a fully wood 1950 Chris Craft with twin 454's.

I understand it was reworked from original 350's where the engines were sold on E Bay with the counter rotator going like hot cakes.

This boat lives in a shed under cover and is an amazing example of a long surpassed craft- the simple wooden boat.

Gas burns/explodes great!

Nothing more to add about the coal/fuel economy issue presently - I would direct folks attention to these URLs regarding fire/EXPLOSION safety on board.
Never hurts to run those bilge blowers (especially with family onboard).