Where are Titanic's propeller cones?

[Bob Read]

No, but the propellers and their fairings were slammed hard enough to bend them far enough upward that they ended up above the level of the center propeller which is completely buried. That’s more than enough force to dislodge the fairwaters. They might be almost completely rusted away, wherever they landed.

 

[Tim Aldrich]

They might be almost completely rusted away, wherever they landed.

I agree with this statement. I'm guessing that the fairwaters would likely have been thin metal.

 

[Andrew]

I'd agree with Sam that it's perfectly possible they were never fitted in the first place.

Don't forget that it was an almighty rush to get the Titanic ready for 10th April - they never really got back on schedule after Olympic's repairs, and there were murmurings from some passengers about the ship seeming unfinished.

It wouldn't be a huge surprise if the cones got missed & weren't put on.

 

[Andrew]

Furthermore, if the Olympic's propeller blade accident in Feb 1912 also damaged the cone, they may have had to replace it with one intended for the Titanic.....?

 

[Bob Read]

Andrew: There’s no possibility that the fairwaters weren’t installed. One of the main functions of the fairwater was to create a barrier so that seawater couldn’t rust the steel propeller nut that held the propeller boss to the threaded propeller shaft. That’s why the fairwaters were filled with oil after they were installed to create a barrier that was impervious to water. These fairwaters were cast iron and were a simple casting to make. Undoubtedly multiple spares were cast for every ship and were kept in Belfast.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

I'd agree with Sam that it's perfectly possible they were never fitted in the first place.

I only asked a question. I never gave an opinion.

 

[daves1]

Based on the wreck site imagery taken via sidescan sonar, the stern appeared to yaw as it smashed into the ocean floor. One can clearly see on the bottom what appeared to be swivel marks in the mud. If the fairwaters didn't implode from water pressure as the stern sank, as was mentioned they were oil-filled, they were probably projected somewhere outside of the yaw marks.

 

[TimTurner]

If the fairwaters were filled with oil, then they would resist crushing. Depending on the type of oil and how well the fairwater kept out the pressure, at some point the oil might start acting as a floatation device and could push the fairwater off.

Perhaps when the stern hit the seafloor, combined with the buoyancy of the oil, it knocked the fairwaters free.

If they did "float off" nearer the surface then they could have landed quite far from the main wreck. Not really plausible, but in theory they could still be floating around today, a few hundred feet under the surface. Not likely, but fun to think about.