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.
On your way to becoming a professional! I recall a movie from my youth, Jimmy Stewart starred. It was about flying, and in an early scene their instructor has all the flight trainees gather around this large fighter, saying “Gentlemen, this is the propeller.”