Wood to Iron
In 1840 iron hull was introduced. The next generation was the ‘iron clad’ , clad in iron. The ship was protected by iron plates and rendered safer than purely wooden ones exposed during battle at sea, grounding or collision. Then came the steel hull in 1880.
Shipbuilding at the turn of 20th century
Independent countries introduced the necessary changes and were able to build up their own marine industry. But India had to go to the wall, in the interest of the British shipping and shipbuilding.
The prime mover was also developed in quick succession : 1895, the diesel engine, in 1900 turbine or rotary engine and in 1903, the electric motor vessel. The fuel used was wood, coal, oil, and finally gas in that sequence. Every advancement required change in machinery and equipment for operation and maintenance.
At the turn of the 20th century, the shipbuilding industry saw the development of design teams which replaced the earlier tradition of the brilliant “Single Designer” taking decisions.
The technical developments continued through the first world war, cyclic depression of the 1920s and 30s and the second world war, with the introduction of the turbine, diesel propulsion, supercharging engine, turbo-electric propulsion and much higher engine speeds, longitudinal framing replacing the transverse frames. Towards the beginning of second world war, electric arc welding began to be introduced.
Second Dark Age in Shipbuilding
The transition from sail to steam and from steam to power also came again at the wrong time for India. Since the British shipbuilders had refused to transfer this technology to the Indians and since the industrialisation in India had lagged way behind the European nations, the shipbuilding industry in India was doomed to virtual extinction. Though the Bombay Dockyard built its first steam ship, Hugh Lindsay, as early as in 1830, it had failed to sustain the effort of updating the technology of building iron clad and therefore got subsequently relegated to the status of just a maintenance and repair yard.
Indian shipbuilding was thus able to hold its own till about 1840. A revolution in the technique of ship construction and ship propulsion took place on account of the use of steam power and the use of iron plates in place of timber. Independent countries introduced the necessary changes and were able to build up their own marine industry. But India had to go to the wall, in the interest of the British shipping and shipbuilding.
The Wadia Era – 1735 to 1884
During the 18th century and first half of the 19th century, the shipbuilding activity in India was dominated by one community, the Parsis. Shipbuilding activity at Surat thrived during the Moghul period. Apparently, it was during the declining years of the Moghul period, that the Parsis had started showing absorbing interests in the art of shipbuilding. In addition to building ships on order, the Parsis also dealt with construction of boats for sale. After Surat, the shipbuilding moved to Daman, Dhabul, Bassein and Bombay. On an average one or two ships per year were being built at Bombay, from 1736 to 1743.; twelve ships of different types were built : Schooners, Grabs, Sloops, Ketches and Brigantines.
It is now in the beginning of the 21st century that serious actions are being taken to revive shipbuilding in India and restore her prestigious position in this profession once again.
Regular shipbuilding programme was drawn up for building ten ships during 1750 to 1760. The wood used in these early ships was quality teak, obtained mainly from the west coast. The ships built of Malabar teak by the Wadias for the East India Company’s Navy, not only cost far less but expected to last for 30 years against an English vessel average life of only 12 years.
These ships were also stronger, as was demonstrated when only one ship, ‘the Wadia frigate’—“Salsette” came through undamaged after a British naval squadron was trapped in ice for nine weeks in the North Baltic Sea. The “Salsette” was the first ship to be built in 1807 on direct order from the Admiralty. During 1810 to 1813, series of six 74-gun ships were built for the Royal Navy.
The story of Wadia’s shipbuilding in India cannot be complete without a mention of the “Foudroyant” launched in October 1817, a 46-gun ship, commissioned as the “Trincomalee” and later renamed as “Foudroyant”. She has the distinction of being the oldest ship still afloat. The longest recorded life of any ship built anywhere in the globe, this is truly one of the wonders of the world! The ship is afloat in British waters even today under their tender care.
Conclusion
The evolution of ships and shipbuilding, is, no doubt, a continuous process as technology advances. A floating vessel of some utility can be built with only the most elementary thought for design, such as a few fallen logs, collected at the edge of the stream and lashed together into a crude raft. In course of time, shaped wooden planks must have replaced irregular floating logs. It is with such crude beginning, that over the many centuries of intuition and trial & error, have grown today with an array of complicated and highly sophisticated ships. This is the result of man’s indomitable spirit of inquiry and adventure.
India had a rich shipbuilding culture as early as 3000 to 2000 BC as is briefly discussed in sections 1 & 2. This was followed by a dark age in shipbuilding in India during early Vedic Period from 2000 to 600 BC. Thereafter from 600 BC to end of 19th century AD, shipbuilding flourished in India and we were the leaders in this profession. The second dark age for shipbuilding in India started towards end of 19th century and continued in 20th century. It is now in the beginning of the 21st century that serious actions are being taken to revive shipbuilding in India and restore her prestigious position in this profession once again.
Please wait...
