Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-01-25
THE ALUMINIUM YACHT.
A Pioneer Graft, Constructed of
the Metal of the Future.


| La Genie Civil.
We give to-day the plan Of the
aluminium yacht the Fendenesse, be-
longing to the Count de Chabannes La
| Palice, launched at Saint Denis last
week. The dimensions of the boat thus
modified are as follows:
Length on the water line, 10 metres (4o
| feet); length over all, 17.4Q metres. extreme
beam. 2.s5 metres; draught, 2.J5 metres;
| displacement, 10 tons; weight Of ballast, II
TONS sail area 1870 no.
The lines of the Vendenesse offer a
continuity Of surface and remarkably
| easy curves. They differ materially
from those of English yachts of the
same tonnage.
The hull is made of steel and alumni
iuni. The frame is made OF rigid steel
intended to support all the strain of the
| ballast and the sails, and to divide il as
uniformly as possible. Upon this frame
there is an exterior envelope of plates
of aluminium fastened in such a way
| as to bind together the different portions
OF the skeletons forming the side of the
| vessel.
This principle, very simple in itself,
seemed to be the most rational to be en-
ployed in the construction of hull in
tended to support great strain, and
| especially in boat built Of aluminium,
metal that has very little elasticity.
Moreover, in the hull of the Yendenesse
there are two water-tight compartments
OF aluminium without any opening or
communication. These compartments
are destined to bind together the two
sides Of the boat, and, in addition, to as.
sure buoyancy.
The fastening of the plates of the
Vendeness was an extremely delicate
operation, owing to the difficulty of
working a new and completely I'M
known metal. Several trials were neces-
sary to determine the best way of work.
ing the aluminium. In the first place it
| was necessary to accustom the workmen
hitherto employed in fastening iron,
steel or copper, to the workings of
aluminium, metal having physical
properties absolutely different.
Another difficulty for the builder was
to render the hull water tight. This
quality is comparatively easy to obtain
| with plates of but little thickness in
iron construction; but with plates of
bronze or aluminium the problem be-
| comes far more difficult to solve. In
this case the water-tight condition is
| only obtained for the most part by
bringing the rivets SO close together that
the resistance OF the joint is considera-
bly, diminished. Although this method
| is good enough for water tanks or for
| river boats it is not fit for the fastening
| OF hull like that of the Vendenesse,
which is destined to undergo considera-
able strains. III spite of all these diff
culties, the shipyards of the Loire made
the experiment success.
The aluminium entering into the hull
OF the Vandenesse was furnished by the
Electric Metallurgic Society OF FORCES.
Inc plates and the greater portion of
| the knees were made by NJ. Charpentier
Page of the foundry of WALDORF, the first
man not only in France, but in all the
world to laminate plates of aluminium
alloy OF large dimensions capable of
being bored and employed in naval con-
struction. In the hull of the Vendenesse
there was employed about LOO kilo-
grams of aluminium and 1,700 Kilograms
of steel, which brings the weight Of the
hull to $500 Kilograms, with displace.
ment of 10 tons.
This is remarkably small, especially
when we take into consideration the
fact that this hull has to support 10 tons
of lead ballast and considerable sail
| area.
The hull Of the yacht realizes in light
ness gain of more than 40 per cent
over similar hull made of wood; and
the gain is still greater over a hull made
OF iron or steel, for whatever may be the
resistance of metal it is impossible to
diminish beyond measure the thickness
of plate.
1t was also necessary to preserve the
aluminium from the contact with salt
| water; because this metal, Interchangeable
in fresh water and in the open air, IS
considerably corroded, although less
than iron, under the influence of the
salt in the water of the sea. M. Gull
loux, aided in his researches by chem
lists Of the house of Leffrane, discovered
alpaint and mode of special applica-
ton which seems to unite the desired
conditions for the preservation of the
aluminium. The exterior painting is
composed of three different coats, super
posed, the first TO obtain adherence to
the metal, the second TO assure its i'm
permeability, and the third to hinder
marine negotiations and incrustations
from forming on the bottom. BY curl
GUS coincidence, which shows that the
rational study of question always
leads to analogous results. NJ. Guilloux
has recently learned that the paint on
the null OF the Vendenesse is made on
the same principle as that which few
years ago was adopted by the japanese
government.
At first it was intended to have the
interior of the Vendenesse simply
vanished SO as to preserve the color Of
the metal; but since she was launched IL
was found that the difference of temper
ature between the air and the water
occasioned on the interior surface
condensation of vapor, still more abund-
ant than on iron bolts. To remedy at
least portion of this inconvenience the
interior surface received several coats of
paint.
The fittings of the Vendenesse are ex-
tremely light, their total weight being
about 800 Kilograms. They are made Of
yellow pine and are composed OF sepa-
rate pieces fastened by screws. This
arrangement, which is rather costly,
permits the almost instantaneous taking
apart of all the furniture of the boat
without damage and renders possible an
inspection Of the hull and repairs in
case OF need without great expense.
The interior arrangements of tine Ven
denesse contribute, in certain measure,
to increased rigidity of the hull. Ali
the principal pieces are connected by
fastenings in aluminium and in this
way serve to strengthen the boat.
The deck of the Vendenesse is formed
of aluminium plates three millimetres in
thickness, and is covered by one single
piece of linoleum. The frames are