No. 237 Maritime Archaeology in the People's Republic of China ...
No. 237 Maritime Archaeology in the People's Republic of China ...
No. 237 Maritime Archaeology in the People's Republic of China ...
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Figure 55. Bulkhead from <strong>the</strong> Pattaya Site show<strong>in</strong>g two waterways, <strong>the</strong> lut<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>the</strong> rebates on upper surface <strong>of</strong> bulkhead for <strong>the</strong> next<br />
plank.<br />
Figure 56. View <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pattaya Site show<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> ‘V’-shaped crosssection.<br />
Figure 57.<br />
26<br />
Pattaya Site show<strong>in</strong>g half-frame ly<strong>in</strong>g across <strong>the</strong> keel.<br />
Figure 58.<br />
Pattaya Site mast step.<br />
to have limbers. How <strong>the</strong>n do <strong>the</strong>se work, if cargo filled <strong>the</strong><br />
compartment? It now seems possible, from <strong>the</strong> evidence <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Pattaya shipwreck, that <strong>in</strong> some cases <strong>the</strong>re was a space <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> centre <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> compartment, about 600 mm wide which was<br />
kept clear. Presumably <strong>the</strong>re was some form <strong>of</strong> longitud<strong>in</strong>al<br />
partition to conf<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong> cargo space. This would <strong>the</strong>n provide<br />
a narrow, but clear access to <strong>the</strong> limbers at <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
bulkheads and thus expla<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> anomaly <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> watertight<br />
lut<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternal seams <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bulkhead and <strong>the</strong> presence<br />
<strong>of</strong> limbers, which <strong>in</strong> all wreck sites have never been found<br />
blocked up with bungs. The possibility is, <strong>the</strong>refore, that <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
event <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> vessel spr<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g a serious leak, <strong>the</strong> crew would<br />
ga<strong>in</strong> access to <strong>the</strong> limbers and block <strong>the</strong>m so that <strong>the</strong> leak could<br />
be conf<strong>in</strong>ed to <strong>the</strong> hold affected. In normal circumstances,<br />
<strong>the</strong> limbers were free to allow <strong>the</strong> movement <strong>of</strong> bilge water<br />
to <strong>the</strong> lowest po<strong>in</strong>t where it could be bailed or pumped out.<br />
If <strong>the</strong>re were no limbers <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> bilge water would collect <strong>in</strong><br />
each compartment, necessitat<strong>in</strong>g a bilge pump to be located<br />
or used <strong>in</strong> each compartment.