Whaleback

A whaleback was a type of cargo steamship of unusual design, with a hull that continuously curved above the waterline from vertical to horizontal.The feature has been incorporated into some pleasure craft based on the hull design of older whaling boats, in which it becomes a "whaleback deck".The bows and spars made them subject to the forces of wind, wave, and the prop wash from the towing vessel, with the result that they often did not follow well.The superstructure atop the hull was in or on round or oval "turrets", so-named because of their resemblance to gunhouses on contemporary warships.[3] When fully loaded, only the curved portion of the hull remained above the water, giving the vessel its "whaleback" appearance.Waves, instead of crashing into the sides of the hull, would simply wash over the deck while meeting only minor resistance from the rounded turrets.After a stop at New York City, Charles W. Wetmore rounded Cape Horn to carry supplies for McDougall's plan to start a shipyard in Everett, Washington.A well-preserved wreck in 70 feet of water at the east end of Lake Superior was confirmed in 2022 to be that of whaleback barge 129, exactly 120 years after its loss.[7] While there was some help from oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller when he was expanding his control in the steel industry, the design failed primarily due to problems with the hatches.[2]: 162  While metacentrically stable as originally built, their design has been accused of not responding well to major refits that may have made some of them top-heavy.
Joseph L. Colby , built 1890, scrapped 1935, was the second whaleback built by McDougall
SS Meteor , the only remaining whaleback in existence, now a museum ship
An early photograph of a whaleback barge circa 1888-1890
SS Thomas Wilson in the Soo Locks , unladen, with two consort barges, also whalebacks
A whaleback traversing the Poe Lock , ca. 1910, showing how low a laden boat would ride
The first self-powered whaleback Colgate Hoyt in the Soo Locks, displaying a bow that earned the vessels the uncharitable nickname "pig boats"
SS Christopher Columbus , the only whaleback passenger ship ever built
The whaleback steamer Henry Cort towing the barge Manda
Whaleback ship in storm
An evolved form of whaleback, with a more conventional bow and enlarged deck houses, Toledo, Ohio , 1908
Whaleback (disambiguation)SS Meteormuseum shipsteamshipspoon bowGreat LakesSuperior, Wisconsinlake freightersDuluth, MinnesotaWest Superior, WisconsinBrooklyn, New YorkEverett, WashingtonSunderland, EnglandRoyal Air ForceWorld War IIBritish Power Boat Company Type Two 63 ft HSLgunwaleSS Thomas WilsonSoo LocksPoe LockAlexander McDougallstrakegunhousesbargesdonkey boilerChristopher ColumbusChicagoColumbian ExpositionQueen of the LakesLiverpoolturret deck shipsCape HornSuez CanalLake SuperiorSS MeteorThomas WilsonNational Register of Historic PlacesJohn D. RockefellercoamingsSamuel MatherToledo, Ohioturret deck shiplake bulk carriersWhaleback Barge 101James B. Colgate (ship)MPR NewsBoyer, DwightDodd, Mead and CompanyWoodman, RichardWikisourceNew International Encyclopedia