Abstract The Evolutionary Development of Floating Dry Docks By Tyler Morra November, 2011 Director: Dr. Nathan Richards DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, PROGRAM IN MARITIME STUDIES The floating dry dock represents one of the most technologically advanced structures ever designed to operate in a maritime environment. These indispensable repair facilities provided necessary maintenance to commercial and naval fleets operating in waters where traditional graving dry docks were impractical or impossible to erect. As technological development allowed for construction of larger sailing and steam vessels, a corresponding progression ensued within the floating dry docks contracted to service and maintain all vessels, up to the largest ships of the day. By analyzing various models of technological evolution as they apply to developments within floating dry docks, the author asks whether their historical advancements qualify as evolutionary, or if individual docks developed solely in response to specific environmental constraints. The Evolutionary Development of Floating Dry Docks A Thesis Presented To The Faculty of the Department of History Program in Maritime Studies East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts By Tyler Morra November 2011 ©Copyright 2012 Tyler Morra The Evolutionary Development of Floating Dry Docks by Tyler Morra APPROVED BY: DIRECTOR OF THESIS:_________________________________________________________ Dr. Nathan Richards, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER:________________________________________________________ Dr. Bradley Rodgers, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER:________________________________________________________ Dr. Lynn Harris, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER:________________________________________________________ Dr. Edward Harris, PhD CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY: _________________________________________________________ Dr. Gerald Prokopowicz, PhD DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL: _________________________________________________________ Dr. Paul J. Gemperline, PhD TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................ vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION........................................................................................ 1 Research Questions....................................................................................... 4 Sources, Methodology, and Previous Research............................................ 5 Thesis Structure............................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY OF FLOATING DRY DOCK RESEARCH................ 8 Sources........................................................................................................... 8 Data Collection.............................................................................................. 11 Comparative Analysis.................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER 3: APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE THEORY TO THE EVOLUTION OF FLOATING DRY DOCKS........................................... 18 Introduction................................................................................................... 18 Invention, Innovation, and Technological Change....................................... 20 Novelty and Acts of Insight.......................................................................... 25 Diffusion and Adoption of Technology........................................................ 28 CHAPTER 4: HISTORICAL DRY DOCKING TECHNOLOGIES................................. 35 Introduction.................................................................................................. 35 Ancient Vessel Extraction............................................................................ 36 The Earliest Verified Graving Dry Dock..................................................... 45 Careening..................................................................................................... 48 The Camel.................................................................................................... 53 CHAPTER 5: THE HISTORY OF FLOATING DRY DOCKS....................................... 57 Introduction................................................................................................. 57 Arrival of the Floating Dock....................................................................... 59 Patents and the Early Floating Docks of the United States......................... 66 The First Floating Docks of the United States Navy................................... 75 Iron Floating Docks..................................................................................... 81 Depositing, Off-Shore, and Double Power Docks...................................... 88 Early 20th Century Floating Docks............................................................. 93 United States Naval Floating Docks and the Second World War............... 104 Floating Docks through Today.................................................................... 114 CHAPTER 6: ANALYSIS OF FLOATING DRY DOCK DEVELOPMENT................ 120 Introduction................................................................................................ 120 Impetus for Change: Floating versus Graving Docks................................ 121 The Cumulative Synthesis of Floating Dry Docks................................... 128 Evolution and the First Bermuda Dock..................................................... 131 Adoption and Diffusion of Floating Dock Technology............................. 135 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION......................................................................................... 143 Floating Docks as Evolutionary Technologies............................................ 143 The Significance of Floating Dock Evolution to Maritime History............ 146 Potential for Future Studies......................................................................... 150 Final Thoughts............................................................................................. 152 REFERENCES................................................................................................................... 154 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: The Cumulative Synthesis Approach to Technological Change........................ 24 FIGURE 2: Market Forces of Technology Push and Market Pull......................................... 33 FIGURE 3: Cothon of Mahida............................................................................................... 39 FIGURE 4: Satellite view of San Pantaleo Cothon............................................................... 39 FIGURE 5: Loading and Unloading a Beached Vessel........................................................ 41 FIGURE 6: T. W. Ward Shipbreaking Gridiron................................................................... 43 FIGURE 7: Sketches Illustrating the Process of Careening.................................................. 49 FIGURE 8: Breaming a Ship................................................................................................ 51 FIGURE 9: Camel for Floating Ships.................................................................................. 55 FIGURE 10: Lock Alternative designed by Meijer............................................................. 60 FIGURE 11: Camel Dock.................................................................................................... 63 FIGURE 12: Watson Floating Dock................................................................................... 64 FIGURE 13: Adamson Floating Dock Patent Sketch......................................................... 66 FIGURE 14: Covenhoven Patent Drawing......................................................................... 67 FIGURE 15: Clark Hydraulic Lift...................................................................................... 69 FIGURE 16: Floating Graving Dock of Commodore Barron............................................. 70 FIGURE 17: Basic Operation of Floating Graving Dock.................................................. 71 FIGURE 18: Patent Drawing of Thomas Sectional Floating Dock................................... 73 FIGURE 19: Perspective view of Gilbert Balance Dock................................................... 76 FIGURE 20: Depiction of Joggled Frame Construction of Gilbert Dock......................... 77 FIGURE 21: Charles Johnson Pneumatic Lift Dock......................................................... 78 FIGURE 22: Perspective View of Sectional Floating Dock and Railways....................... 79 FIGURE 23: Plan and Elevation Views of Sectional Floating Dock.................................. 80 FIGURE 24: Perspective View of Gilbert Balance Dock with Basin and Railways........... 80 FIGURE 25: Launching of the Callao Iron Sectional Dock............................................... 82 FIGURE 26: Scale Model of Bermuda Floating Dry Dock................................................ 85 FIGURE 27: Towing Bermuda Dock from England to Bermuda, 1868............................ 85 FIGURE 28: Sketches of Standfield Self-Docking Design............................................... 87 FIGURE 29: Standfield Depositing Dock......................................................................... 90 FIGURE 30: Staging Area for Depositing Dock............................................................... 90 FIGURE 31: Depiction of Potential Harbor Operation