Quote:
Originally Posted by Targan
Weight would be a major limiting factor there. Fibreglass and aluminium-hulled small craft could very easily become top-heavy and quite unstable if too much armour (even sand bags) was added above the waterline.
Another problem could be the bilge pump outlets, they really need to stay above the water, so loading a small craft down with too much armour/weapons/ammo could result in it sinking very easily.
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Agreed completely. For this reason, candidates for upgrading are fewer and further between than it might otherwise seem. Gunboats will be armored with aluminum wherever and whenever possible. Even so, drafts will be affected. The folks with the right know-how in Alameda will have an interesting challenge in front of them. This is one reason I think the weapons aboard these gunboats will tend towards the lightest of the heavy weapons. The really light gunboats probably won't have any armor or will only have armored sections to protect the crew from small arms fire, not armored hulls to protect the entire boat.
The Coast Guard's boatswain's mates will be invaluable as the Navy in San Francisco Bay shifts its operations from capital ships to green and brown water operations. The Coast Guard Auxiliary also has an important role to play in teaching the seamen how to manage light ships with loads that might be pretty substantial. Blue Two will have a lot of learning ahead of it.