Posted by Patrick Smith on November 09, 2004 at 11:45:23:
In Reply to: It is the bow! posted by Elaine on November 09, 2004 at 10:36:28:
Elaine, You need to trust me on this (I also have some great beachfront property I'll sell you in Florida...;) but it REALLY is the stern. Think of it this way: the top edge of the "bow" in your picture that Max submitted would have been at or below the waterline before the ship was cut down for the artificial reef project. This was possible because so much internal equipment was removed, she sat much higher in the water on her final tow. Nearly all Palawan's superstructure was cut away, along with nearly one-third of her hull. In photos of an intact Liberty Ship, lay a ruler over the top one-third at the vessel's main deck/hull line, and you will approximate what remains today. At the same time notice the cutaway material removes the aft overhang (so-called "cruiser stern") and the connection for the rudder shaft, leaving the slight flair that you captured so well in your photos, and I admit does look somewhat bow-like; but it isn't the bow. Honest
Once someone has a chance to seriously examine both ends of the Palawan, and do so in an un-narced condition, this idee-fixe should be dispelled, and this whole episode will be yet another step toward total enlightenment.
It's ALWAYS better down where it's wetter.
Patrick