Ever heard of a cannononball .. ovoid?

celtan · 11th September 2010, 09:26 PM

Guys, I remember seeing as a child some large ovoid metal shapes lying around in Galicia's ports. I believed initially that they were old cannon balls. I was eventually told by a local sailor that in old times, these were used in sailing boats for balance, "to keep the keel down, and the sail up". Somehow, these ovoid metal bodies were either attached under the boat, or in the lowest internal part of the ship. IIRC, they might have been placed near the keelboard housing.

My two "pesetas".

Best

M

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11th September 2010, 09:26 PM	#32
celtan Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: PR, USA Posts: 679	Guys, I remember seeing as a child some large ovoid metal shapes lying around in Galicia's ports. I believed initially that they were old cannon balls. I was eventually told by a local sailor that in old times, these were used in sailing boats for balance, "to keep the keel down, and the sail up". Somehow, these ovoid metal bodies were either attached under the boat, or in the lowest internal part of the ship. IIRC, they might have been placed near the keelboard housing. My two "pesetas". Best M