[mldixon]

Originally Posted by dto

I

And will you also include the pig iron ingots that were dumped onto the bow immediately prior to her first battle? It was determined that the weight distribution was off, with the unprotected portion of the bow dangerously exposed. But during the second day's battle with the Monitor, so much coal had been consumed that the Virginia was now bow-heavy, with portions of the rudder and propeller visible. In fact, it's surmised that was the Monitor's intended target when the Rebels scored a lucky hit on the pilothouse. The exposed rudder chains would have been another tempting opportunity, which later proved to be the CSS Tennessee's Achilles' heel...

David T. Okamura

Hello David, I saw all the RC data ( link below)

http://walternelson.com/ironclads.pdf

on the web while doing searches, the original construction scroll was 27 feet long or 17 feet depending on which source you choose to believe, these are lost to us... The originals were traced over twice and the originals destroyed, so copies are what exist, it is rumored that additional material exists in the hands of private collectors, but not accessible to us...
Fantail still a mystery, I've not seen anything definitive on this, however the ship was loaded with scrap iron from all over the Navy Yard, so much in fact that it was called off for fear that any more weight would damage the Virginia, it was thought later that Porter had failed to calculate the weight of the Masts, spars, rigging sails etc when he calculated draft.

Not a lucky hit, a well aimed shot at the Monitors slit, the captain was just looking out at the wrong time

According to what I have read,and I have by no means read it all, the Virginia's fantail was never exposed to a shot, but the Monitor probably missed the boat by not ramming her stern, this was a poorly arranged area and would have crippled her for sure.