I’ve been watching the TV Show The Terror, and I was curious as to how ships in that era (1800s) were able to keep warm or at least insulated against extreme temperatures.
In: Other
Terror did have a small steam engine for propulsion and a fair amount of coal which would have contributed some warmth. But eventually the fuel would have run out.
Having sailed on wooden ships, I can tell you that in warm weather, it’s stifling hot. The humidity is horrendous, everything is wet, and the 50-100 people around you makes it unbearable.
In the cold though, those same people keep you alive. You’re packed in. In your hammock you are touching at least 4 other people. Literally. Unfortunately everything is still wet, and you will freeze. Who knew big wooden vessels with holes all over the place that are reliant on wind to move would be cold! Some people have stated the stove kept you warm. But the stove uses wood, and there is only a finite amount of wood that can be used. It would help a bit, and berths close to the stove were gold, but ultimately, you put on extra layers and stayed close to others.
Edit: don’t underestimate the amount of misery humans have gone through throughout history.
Well, from what I’ve read, ships in the 1800s used a combination of natural insulation (such as thick wooden hulls and layers of tar) and heating sources like coal stoves or fireplaces to keep warm in cold weather. Of course, it wasn’t always effective and crews had to endure harsh conditions, which is probably why The Terror is so terrifying! It’s amazing to think about how much technology has evolved since then to make sea travel more comfortable and safe.
Ships in the 1800s used a combination of insulation, coal-burning stoves, and sometimes even heated bricks to keep warm during extreme temperatures at sea.
Slightly aside: Raold Amundson’s ship Gjoa was lined with reindeer fur to insulate the interior for polar travel.
One thing people haven’t mentioned is how hot and suffocating the living quarters of a 800-man crew could get, as they are jam-packed under the deck.
Watch the series “The Terror”. It doesn’t a great job of depicting ship life of that time in the arctic.
The Erebus and Terror had steam engines to supplement the sails and these same engines also circulated hot water to heat the ships
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/hms-terror-erebus-history-franklin-lost-expedition#:~:text=HMS%20Erebus%20was%20built%20by,the%20aptly%2Dnamed%20Frozen%20Strait.
The real TERROR and EREBUS had vented heating all around the ship, and had huge coal bunkers.
Latest Answers