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Lewis and Clark Expedition for kids: Facts about the Keelboat
The following fact sheet provides short, interesting facts about the Keelboat. |
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Lewis and Clark Expedition: Facts about the Keelboat |
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Keelboat Fact 1: | The Lewis and Clark keelboat traveled from Pittsburgh, where it was built, to Fort Mandan and then back to St. Louis, covering a distance of 2, 000 miles. William Clark was known as an expert waterman, having grown up in the Ohio River town of Louisville, Kentucky. | ||||||
Keelboat Fact 2: | In addition to the Keel boat, two wooden row boats called Pirogues (flat-bottomed boats for hauling supplies on inland waters) were taken to hold men and supplies. The two pirogues were designed to lighten the load of the keel boat. Six dugout canoes were also used on the expedition. | ||||||
Keelboat Fact 3: | The Lewis and Clark keelboat had a single mast and a footloose square sail. A heavy timber (the keel) ran down the center of the entire length of the bottom of the boat to absorb the shock of running into underwater obstructions, such as fallen trees, and to enable easier steering. | ||||||
Keelboat Fact 4: | The captains cabin was situated on the after deck and contained two bunk-beds, a bench, a desk and shelves for books and scientific instruments | ||||||
Keelboat Fact 5: | The hold of the keel boat was partially covered by a boxlike structure that sheltered both the cargo and the crew's sleeping space. | ||||||
Keelboat Fact 6: | The 55 foot Keel boat could be sailed, rowed, poled like a raft, or towed by ropes from the riverbank. One of the major advantages of the keelboat was that it was able to travel both upstream and for swiftly downstream | ||||||
Keelboat Fact 7: | A small 1.5 inch bore cannon, or swivel gun, was mounted on the bow of the Lewis and Clark keelboat | ||||||
Source: www.lewis-and-clark-expedition.org
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