ncutler wrote:Lignum vitae was commonly used for ships' stern tube bearings.
Not in my knowledge of RN frigates.
Bronze (phosphor bronze?) was and still is used I think.
Sea story alert!
I joined HMS Achilles in March 1971 as a wide-eyed young 18yo apprentice for my year at sea.
We sailed from Devonport via Gib, Ascension, St Helena, Simonstown (near Capetown), Madagascar, Mombassa, Gan (Maldives) and Singapore where we stayed a couple of weeks.
From there, right round the bottom of Oz to Sydney, then across to NZ (Aukland, Gisborne, Nelson) then Fiji, Villa in the New Hebrides (now called Vanuatu) on our way to Hong Kong ................................ but ......................
One of the stern bearings "wiped" and we had to limp on one shaft back via Port Morseby (Papua New Guinea), Darwin Oz, and back to good old Singapore where we went into dry dock for a couple of months whilst they replaced the bronze bearings and possibly a whole shaft. Can't remember it specifically, but they had to remove the propellors and at least one of the shafts.
Home via Cochin (India), Bahrein (Persian Gulf) and Mombassa where I flew home as my year was up and carried on with my apprenticeship. Achilles went via the same route back to Devonport and was away for 15months in total.
You tell the children of today all that, and they wouldn't believe you!
Mick F. Cornwall