Hi all - I've been looking for the answer to this elsewhere on the site, so I do apologise if I've missed it and you've already discussed this.
I've been looking at the bow design of early steamships, and I find myself wondering why the bow of early steam vessels was so blunt? Wooden ships of the time, especially ships designed to move at speed like clippers/racers had seriously raked bows, but the designers of the first steam driven ships seem to have gone for a much blunter design. Was it a strength thing? Or am I wrong? Wouldn't be the first time....
I've been looking at the bow design of early steamships, and I find myself wondering why the bow of early steam vessels was so blunt? Wooden ships of the time, especially ships designed to move at speed like clippers/racers had seriously raked bows, but the designers of the first steam driven ships seem to have gone for a much blunter design. Was it a strength thing? Or am I wrong? Wouldn't be the first time....