Spring 2013
| History Block | Science Block | Engineering Block |
| Associate Professor Virginia W. Lunsford History Department lunsford@usna.edu |
Professor Peter Guth
Oceanography Department pguth@usna.edu |
Professor Robert H. Mayer Jr. Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Department mayer@usna.edu |
Course Description: This course provides a multidisciplinary look at historic shipwrecks – their historic records, the science behind their discovery, and the technology of their recovery. From an historical perspective, the evolution of ship construction and naval tactics is discussed. The scientific effects of winds, tides and currents on ship drift, and the use of ship logs in locating lost vessels are introduced, along with the biological and chemical effects of long-term emersion of ship structures in different marine environments. The development and deployment of underwater sensors for searching and displaying search results are also illustrated. Once discovered, the engineering principles associated with planning the recovery operations of sunken vessels and their artifacts are considered. Case studies include that of John Paul Jones’ flagship, the Bonhomme Richard; from the early 1600’s, the Swedish warship Vasa; the SS Central America captained by William Herndon; and the USS Monitor, among others. The course concludes with an at-sea search, (hopeful) discovery, and planned salvage of a sunken vessel in the Chesapeake Bay. Either version counts as a free elective, and EN486L may cound as an engineering elective. Preq: none. Spring 2012.
The table below shows the weighting of the different assignments during each marking period. You will get a separate syllabus and grading scheme for each block, which will have details about the times and locations for classes. Some periods will be used as labs, so you should look at the syllabus for each block to determine the meeting times each week.
| Component | Content | 5 weeks | 12 weeks | 18 weeks | Course |
| Block I (Jan 17 - Feb 9) | History | 100% | 50% | 33% | 25% |
| Block II (Feb 14 - March 8) | Science | 50% | 33% | 25% | |
| Block III (March 20 - April 12) | Engineering | 33% | 25% | ||
| Project | 25% |
Last revision 1/3/2013