Sunday quiz Easy like Sunday morning | Life at sea
A literal interpretation of ‘The Claw’ in a 16th-century painting by Giulio Parigi.
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1 / 10 |
On May 16, 1817, the Washington was launched on the Mississippi River, marking the start of a service that runs till this day. The boat was propelled by a high-pressure, horizontally mounted engine turning a single stern paddle wheel. It was the first to have two decks, an upper deck for passengers and one below the main deck for cargo. What type of boat, named after its power source, was this, to which you were probably introduced by Mark Twain?
2 / 10 |
Whistling in a warship has always been strongly discouraged and till 1910 was a punishable offence in the Royal Navy. In the old days all orders were passed by means of a whistle, and so whistling could lead to confusion. There was also a superstition that whistling brought wind, which was not always welcome. The only person who was allowed to whistle was the ship’s cook, who had to do so when preparing dishes. Why was that?
3 / 10 |
This is a type of multi-hulled boat that has parallel hulls. This allows it to be a geometry-stabilised craft, and due to smaller hydrodynamic resistance it requires less power to be propelled. The first versions of these were invented to sail across the Indian Ocean. The name comes from the Tamil words kattu and maram which mean ‘tied’ and ‘trees’, respectively. What type of boat is this?
4 / 10 |
This word comes from the Venetian term for ‘40 days’ and was used in the 14th century to refer to the period for which a ship was required to be isolated before the passengers or crew could go onshore. This was done to stop the spread of the plague during the Black Death. What word is this that is in common use once more due to the pandemic?
5 / 10 |
Ramon Artagaveytia from Uruguay was born in 1840 into a family steeped in the history of the sea. When he was 31 years old, to escape from a fire on the ship America, he jumped into the sea and swam to safety. He was so emotionally scarred that he didn’t set foot on a ship again until 1912, when he decided to head to the U.S. Unfortunately for him, that trip was also his last. On what ship was his last trip?
6 / 10 |
This is a small, narrow boat propelled by a double-bladed paddle. It has a covered spray deck that prevents water from entering the craft. These boats were first used by indigenous hunters who lived within the Arctic circle. The name comes from the word qajaq in Greenlandic. What boat is this that you would now see in rivers in adventure resorts?
7 / 10 |
‘The Claw’ was an anti-ship weapon designed to lift a rival ship by the prow and then drop it, often causing the vessel to capsize. It was invented to defend the city of Syracuse and was used during the Second Punic War in 214 BC. It was designed and built by a Greek engineer and astronomer. Who is this person who invented ‘The Claw’ and was known for his experiments in his bathtub?
8 / 10 |
A water sled is an unpowered, inflatable boat that’s meant to be towed behind another boat. It consists of a big main tube that riders sit on while keeping their feet on two laterally flanking tubes. The tube is usually yellow in colour and slightly curved. Due to the colour and shape, by what name is the water sled better known, especially at seaside fun resorts?
9 / 10 |
The measurement that ships use for navigation is the nautical mile. The term for one nautical mile per hour is a word we normally use in a totally different context. The term comes from the fact that in the olden days, the speed would be measured by throwing a log into the sea. This was attached to a long rope that had twists at even intervals. What word is this that is used to measure a boat’s speed?
10 / 10 |
This is a type of boat that manoeuvres other boats or ships by either pushing or pulling them using a tow line. These boats, though small, are very powerful and have high torque thanks to their diesel engines. Recently, a flotilla of these boats was responsible for helping the huge tanker that had been stuck in the Suez Canal. What is the name given to these boats because of the action they do?
Related Topics
The Hindu Quizzes / The Hindu Sunday Magazine / sailing / waterway and maritime transport / power boating
