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Concrete Ghosts Of Galveston Bay
Manage episode 515366640 series 3464959
Two concrete tankers, the SS Selma and SS Durham, turn a wartime shortcut into coastal legend. We trace how steel shortages sparked bold builds, why those ships failed at sea, and how their wrecks still shape fishing, folklore, and engineering lessons.
• concrete ship origins during WWI steel shortage
• how reinforced concrete hulls promised speed and savings
• the Selma’s specs, accident, failed repairs, and scuttling
• the wreck as reef, prohibition liquor smash, local lore
• Frenchy LeBlanc’s hermitage and media spectacle
• the Durham’s whale-back design and underpowered engine
• miserable Tampico voyage, sales, towlines, collisions
• conversion to storage and Sportsman’s Pier, storm damage
• where to spot remains near Pelican Island and North Jetty
• why the fleet ended and what engineers learned about durability
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Chapters
1. Concrete Ghosts Of Galveston Bay (00:00:00)
2. Why Concrete Ships Existed (00:00:05)
3. Setting The Scene In Galveston Bay (00:00:23)
4. The WWI Concrete Fleet Idea (00:01:16)
5. Meet The SS Selma (00:02:09)
6. Wreck, Scuttling, And Reef Afterlife (00:03:09)
7. Frenchie’s Hermitage On The Selma (00:04:33)
8. Enter The SS Durham (00:06:36)
9. Whale-Back Design And Miserable Voyage (00:07:17)
10. From Lawsuits To Tourist Pier (00:08:46)
11. Legacy, Lessons, And What Still Remains (00:09:54)
150 episodes
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