Bowsprit topmast......

[smoolie671]

I have a question for everyone here....Is there any record of a brig-rigged vessel having a bowsprit topmast? The closest that I can find is the Nonsuch, but it is ketch rigged. I'm going to add one purely for the extra added salty look and wow factor. I just want to know if Im going to have to deal with alot of people complaining that I'm historicaly inacurate. If it is "wrong" I can tell them that I simply like the look of it. If it is correct, then I would like to have some frame of reference to defend it. I'm adding an example to give you an idea what I'm ranting about. I have been looking at the Kalmar Nyckel and really like the look. The only difference would be the lack of a mizzen mast and the addition of a jib. I doubt I would ever fly any canvas from it, but it would sure look dandy!

[Andrew_Butchart]

I've looked through my copy of "The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor" - published in 1808 (reprinted by Lee Valley) and can see no such mast described.

Perhaps it was only in the merchant service, or after that time?

[ChrisObee]

I think that I have only seen those on a large ship rigged vessles.

[Barry Pyeatt]

Just out of curiosty, What part of modifying a flat bottomed hull like these into a square rigger is "Historically accurate"?

It is the impresssion you are going for after all isn't it? The WOW factor! Creating a show on the water rather than something that is actually going to perform well?

So do what you want. The "Historically Acurate" crowd probably isn't going to be more than amused by what you are doing anyway. So have fun and keep on going. If you start nit picking at it you are probably going to end up with an unworkable combination. Remember that the goal is to be able to actually sail this "ship".

[PAR]

All depends on the era you're trying to "look" like. Lets face it, she's a 100 footer as they say in the construction trades and a period piece is what you're after. Not necessarily a reproduction, replica, copy or in the anything else, but a "sort of looks like" kind of deal.

Currently you have been working toward a 17 - 18th century ship, with elements of 1800' tossed in for good measure. The fore and aft arrangement was well established by then. The ship you're trying to mimic was an earlier vessel, you've enough of those elements to pull it off, I think. By the end of the 1600's they were all but replaced with triangular headsails, which had obvious advantages in comparison. Even Columbus came over with fore and aft rigged vessels, though the Mayflower had one when it crashed into Plymouth rock.

That era of vessel design was part of the "dark ages" of ship development. Sailing craft, particularly commercial, evolved very slowly. It's estimated that more then 50% of those men that ventured to sea, died as a result of poor designs and handed down acceptance of inferior hull forms and rigs. It was mostly an economic issue, because the ships owners paid for delivered freight and expected loses. They'd send 5 ships around the horn, with cargo divided evenly amongst them, knowing only 2 or 3 would make it. This was the cost of doing business, screw the crew, though the lose of a ship wasn't unpainfull to the businessmen who had to replace it.

It wasn't until revolution swept the world (see what we started), based on freedoms, that things really started to change. Then crews started working their own deals with shippers, owners and governments, as was the case with privateers. The skippers wanted better ships, so they would live to sail another day and the owners, of course the governments wanted vengeance, with all wanting faster delivery times. Designers were hired by privet industry, rather then subsidized by the government, church, ship yard or syndicate. This produced a design competition that gave light to new design concepts and design evaluation based on previous design success (or failure). During the mid to late 18th century, ship design exploded, mostly in smaller, privately owned vessels (not yachts) as these were usually involved in elicit trades, needing a fast, weatherly boat. It took the first quarter of the 19th century for the commercial and naval ships to fully catch on, (actually the ass kicking the British took in the 1812 war, against our "schooner" built frigates was a big factor) then it was full bore until steam pushed them aside in the last quarter of the century. These last years were the golden era of sail.

[smoolie671]

I think I understand now. Perhaps this is where I should simply part ways.

[Ironmule]

What comes to my mind first is whether it'll balance under sail. If you can't fly it and steer, no one will get the "wow" factor. The overall visual impression I have of your vessel so far is that it would fit in.

On the negative side, how many strings will you have to adjust as you tack up a narrow channel :shock: :wink: