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From Wikipedia about the ship: > Every detail of her construction had been scrupulously planned to ensure maximum durability: for example, every joint and fitt

by ygra 5y ago

From Wikipedia about the ship: > Every detail of her construction had been scrupulously planned to ensure maximum durability: for example, every joint and fitting was cross-braced for maximum strength. > ... > Though her hull looked from the outside like that of any other vessel of a comparable size, it was not. She was designed for polar conditions with a very sturdy construction. Her keel members were four pieces of solid oak, one above the other, adding up to a thickness of 85 inches (2,200 mm), while its sides were between 30 inches (760 mm) and 18 inches (460 mm) thick, with twice as many frames as normal and the frames being of double thickness. She was built of planks of oak and Norwegian fir up to 30 inches (760 mm) thick, sheathed in greenheart, an exceptionally strong and heavy wood. The bow, which would meet the ice head-on, had been given special attention. Each timber had been made from a single oak tree chosen for its shape so that its natural shape followed the curve of the ship's design. When put together, these pieces had a thickness of 52 inches (1,300 mm). So I guess if you build a ship that way for that purpose, it probably will survive for quite a while relatively unscathed (apart from that it has been crushed a bit by the ice).

KarlKemp 5y ago
I believe what really matters in cases like this is that wood doesn't degrade underwater, and that there is very little movement of water at the spot.
- ygra 5y ago
  Maybe the initial picture most of us have regarding ship wrecks is ships built from metal, which rust and fall apart significantly easier when submerged.
- notahacker 5y ago
  The main thing is how little is growing on it, since that makes invariably wrecks look unrecognisable, and usually hastens their degradation (the Titanic isn't spectacularly rusting because it's sat in water with very low oxygen contect, it's spectacularly rusting because there's a microbe feeding on it. The well preserved wooden wrecks tend to be submerged in mud or in zones with relatively little life too)

by ygra 5y ago

KarlKemp 5y ago

I believe what really matters in cases like this is that wood doesn't degrade underwater, and that there is very little movement of water at the spot.

ygra 5y ago
Maybe the initial picture most of us have regarding ship wrecks is ships built from metal, which rust and fall apart significantly easier when submerged.
notahacker 5y ago
The main thing is how little is growing on it, since that makes invariably wrecks look unrecognisable, and usually hastens their degradation (the Titanic isn't spectacularly rusting because it's sat in water with very low oxygen contect, it's spectacularly rusting because there's a microbe feeding on it. The well preserved wooden wrecks tend to be submerged in mud or in zones with relatively little life too)