![]() ![]() The wooden ways on which the ship was built would have been well-greased in anticipation of sliding the boat into the water. In the launching of some of the old schooners and other big ships, "Out, oakum!" was one of the first commands to start the process. Any final wood treatment goes on the exterior of the boat after the caulking has been completed. Once the ship goes into the water and the seams begin to shrink and tighten, the oakum helps to form a watertight seal that keeps the hull from leaking. The loose texture allows the fiber to absorb the tar or other gunk more readily and to mat into a tighter-packing wad in the seams or joints. ![]() The word comes from the Old English "acumba" for "broken fibers" or "off-combing." Oakum is fiber that has not been twisted or plied into rope, but instead has been combed straight and left relatively loose, more like wool batting. The treated fiber is used to stuff into the joints or seams between planks on the hull of a wooden boat. J., Concord, Mass.Īnswer: Oakum is hemp or jute that has been soaked in tar, creosote or asphalt. A February spring is not worth a pin.Īsk The Old Farmer's Almanac: What is oakum? I know it's used in caulking boats, but what is it made of? - M. Jazz pianist Thelonius Monk died, 1982.įeb. 18, Saturday - Premiere of "Madame Butterfly," Milan, 1904. 16, Friday - Wilt Chamberlain scored 30,000th point, 1972. Valentine, set thy hopper (seed basket) by mine.įeb. 13, Tuesday - By Valentine's Day, both the good and the bad goose will lay.įeb. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |