Well, I never knew that !!

[Coops]

It was necessary to keep a good supply of cannon balls near the cannon on old war ships. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck was the problem. The best storage method devised was to stack them as a square based pyramid, with one ball on top, resting on four, resting on nine, which rested on sixteen.

Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem -- how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding/rolling from under the others.

The solution was a metal plate with 16 round indentations, called, for reasons unknown, a Monkey. But if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make them of brass - hence, Brass Monkeys.

Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would come right off the monkey.

Thus, it was quite literally, cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. And all this time, you thought that was just a vulgar expression, didn't you?

 

[Auvergne]

Thank you for sharing Leslie.

 

[Pete_374375706]

I'm gonna shatter so many illusions with that pearl of info !!! It sounds plausible even if it's not right !!

 

[Gumbo]

I know Pete will be correct.

Not many left now who served on the " Victory " just Pete and one or two others !!!!!!!!! I think Breakwynd and Selwyn are amongst the others.

 

[Guest]

In fact it is yet another mythical story that has been spread by the internet and by email!

The Navy says there is no evidence to support this story and that their was also a saying "freeze the tail off a brass monkey".

Cannon balls or "shot" on ships was kept in "shot racks" or "shot garlands" not Monkeys.

Shot Garlands were just a kind of longditudal planks with holes bored in it that the cannonballs sat in.

 

[Gumbo]

Sorry forgot euro, now have a full crew Selwyn,Euro and Brakewynd, I bet they all stood by the Victory in the New Forest whilst they built it.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Hello Frank aka Dumbo. We haven't heard from you for awhile. I bet you've still been busy trying to move 'Those Who Must Not Be Named On These Forums' from your backyard .... heh! heh! heh! It made my day when you'd posted asking how people move them on Frankie, I'll never forget it ;O) heh! heh!

 

[Gumbo]

Pardon I don't have any inkling of what you are speaking about ?? I don't have those who shall not be named living near me. I am not Dumbo it's Gumbo, i.e. Hot and Spicy. I live in Staffordshire quite close to the canal at Stone we are boating people not caravan people.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

LMAAAOOOOO, nice try Frank ... heh! heh! heh!

At your age you shouldn't be telling lies because Him above is watching you :O)

 

[Guest]

Gumbo

Please allow me to introduce myself

I'm a man of wealth and taste

I've been around for a long, long year!

And also watched as Noah build his Ark :O)

 

[martin.]

It is true, not an internet myth.

 

[Gumbo]

Hello euro

I can only admit to the Wealth bit as for taste, that's a matter of personal opinion. Our new narrow boat cost us just over

 

[Guest]

Martin the Brass Monkeys tale that started this thread is as true as me being around when the Ark was built :O)

Ships with cannon just did not store the shot in such a way!

Gumbo, I know nothing of narrow boats as being tall they are not to my liking and rather slow.

We bought a Cranchi 50HT with daughter and son in-law this summer but have been to busy to really use it yet as we had family commitments and caravanning trip arranged. Apart from the fun and pleasure it makes a great office for my daughter.

 

[Gumbo]

Cranchi 50HT

To fast for the canal would wash the banks away.

Glad to see you do have taste though, even though a little ostentatious for my liking.

 

[Guest]

The boat is also a business tool for out daughter Gumbo, it doubles as an office and comes cheaper than running a costal office. Costs are more than covered by business and there were good deals around due to the economics this year.

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi all

while leslie's tail is not absolutly true there is some truth in it, the brass monkey was indeed a dished brass plate (actually it was copper)which was kept on ship by the blacksmiths for repairing the hull (british warships had copper bottoms to stop barnicle growth and damage to the wooden hull) B.T.W. thats where the phrase copper bottomed as in the best comes from).

the cannon balls or shot were cast in iron and were not uniform in size, each one was measured and only the ones of the right""calibre""were used. in really cold weather the smaller shot would would be heated up by the ships blacksmith and used in the cannons as ""hot shot"" because the hot shot would burn the wooden deck the brass plate was used so the term brass monkey weather was born.

also when a foriegn ship was captured ie french or spanish all the cannons and shot were confiscated but sometimes the cannons were spiked before the ship surrended so just the cannon balls were taken these were a lot smaller than the british calibre shot so the black smith made jackets out of copper to put around them so they were the right size hence the phrase ""full metal jacket"".

many terms come from the old sailing ship days like "jack tar" which described the practice of sailors taring their hair to stop lice and when the grog "rum" rations came out it was served in a flaggon with pips or pegs down the side each man would get drink between the pegs if some one drank a little too much when it came to the last man there were none left so the phrase taking someone (the last man)down a peg or two was invented.

so I am sorry to P**s on your fire euro "yet another one" the practice of urinating in the blacksmiths fire stopping it from reaching a high enough temprature when he was't looking, but it is true and not an internet lie.

colin

 

[Gafferbill]

Sorry forgot euro, now have a full crew Selwyn,Euro and Brakewynd, I bet they all stood by the Victory in the New Forest whilst they built it.

I dont know what that lot were doing in the New Forest.

They should have been at Chatham dockyard where the Victory was built.