Tuesday, May 11, 2021
They don't skill 'em like they used to.
Vintage.es has a wonderful photo feature showing a HUGE ship being towed through the Chicago Ship Canal in 1953, with only a few inches clearance at some points. The ship was being refitted for Great Lakes bulk carrier service, and Chicago Shipbuilding was contracted to do the work. The planners had to do some serious math and geometry to determine if the move was possible, and clearly they got the math right. The ship carried freight until 1979, then was cut down to a barge and served until 2012. It's still functional but not currently used.
Compare with the ship jamming up the Suez Canal, despite modern GPS and computer autopilots.
DESPITE always means BECAUSE. When you rely on high tech you lose your contact with physical reality. River and canal captains before tech knew every foot of their banks and beds, AND took physical soundings to verify the shape.
USE IT OR LOSE IT.
Labels: Carver, skill-estate
¶ 12:55 AM
