Now, I have to say this class was a bit dry -but I enjoyed it. It dealt with the heart of the matter — what is a ship, how are they built, why do they float — and most important — why do the float with the keel in the water and the house in the air — and why sometimes.. they don’t and a sailors die.
The instructor, Richard Brookes, was great. He’s a great character, knowledgeable sea captain and a real sailor. It’s a real pleasure to learn from him.
What did I learn? Well, we went into deep detail and review of the elemental parts of a vessel, from stem to stern, keel to deck stringer.
We discussed sheer and shear, tension and torsion.
We reviewed and elaborated on free surface effect.
I know really get metacentric height (not to be confused with metaphysical heights) and mostly understand the stability curves. I am pretty sure I could analyze a stability report and understand the consequences of a cargo loading.
It’s a great subject, and I would like to take the advanced course.
