Coastie04

To the gallows with ye!!! If'n ye didn't want it, I know a trip up the inside passage would be just what I need.

Coastie

I thought of that hermaphrodite brig as well (or, as one of her crew members called her a few years ago, a hermaphrodite schooner). She's a little run down below decks, but the rigging looks great. Unfortunately, she was unable to get a CG license for passengers for a variety of reasons, and it would take too much to refit her for the tourism trade. However, I got a chance to dive off of her fore-course yardarm in The Great Salt Pond in Block Island. Then, of course, there was a party later that night. Great fun, and definitly a pretty boat.

Coastie

Actually, this boat was born of that idea. The problem in the 70's was that in order to power the ships of today, the masts and yards were too large, and the materials of the day could not reasonably support them and remain stable. However, with new carbon fiber materials, the rigging is strong and light. Besides, with today's computers, the sails can almost be adjusted automatically for best performance. And, they're a whole lot more efficient than the traditional square sails. Also, on the website is an explanation of how the new rig was developed. Really an interesting look at sail theory.

Coastie

I recently came across an interesting new boat. She's ultra modern, but with a distinctly traditional look. The boat is the 298-foot Maltese Falcon, a brand new super yacht. Not only does the boat look great, she is easy to operate, and relatively simple. She's square-rigged, but she brings a whole new dimension to the concept. I still think that without at least a couple heads'ls and a spanker that there just seems to be something missing. However, that's just my opinion. Below are some pictures I got from the ship's website, www.symaltesefalcon.com.

A couple of interesting notes. She can set/douse one sail per mast at a time, and it takes about a minute per sail. There are no gaps in the sail area from the head of the royals to the foot of the courses. She's reached over 20 kts on multiple occasions, including while weathering 70 kt wind - UNDER SAIL!!! The masts and yards are fixed (and intentionaly curved), so the entire mast rotates to adjust the trim, and there is no accompanying rigging. The sails furl into the mast. With the push of a button...actually, a touch-screen with a picture of the sail plan. Sails can be set just as easily. The computer gives real-time rotational, heeling moment, and forward thrust info. The boat can be sailed by just one person. I read an article that quoted a crew member as saying that the owner really likes to sail her hard, often putting the rail in the water.

I wish I could afford such a luxery.

Coastie

Unfortunately, I've been away from the pub for quite a while, with moving and organizing a 7-boat (not pirate related) event. However, I've been following this story closely since I first heard that the schooner Robertson II ran aground and capsized. She's a pretty schooner from the 1940s, and was the last Canadian fishing schooner actually fishing. Later, she was moved to the west coast and became a sail training vessel for a Canadian organization called SALTS. Eventually, she was sold and became a yacht.

THEN TRAGEDY STRUCK...

Luckily, all onboard were rescued safely.

She ran aground on a charted reef while attempting to anchor. As the tide went out, she capsized (Royaliste, sorry to bring back old memories). Things were rather hopefull at first, as there was progress and initially little to no damage. However, the tides and equipment were not on the Robbie's (Robbie being a nickname for the boat) side. After her keel was broken during attempted salvage, the owner had enough (and likely spent enough) and gave up the ship for dead. A former Robbie sailor purchased the boat with the intent to save her. As of today, I saw news that she was floating for the first time in 6 weeks!!! She's buoyed up by airbags both inside and out, but will be towed and, funds willing, be repaired. Below are some articles that show the progress. Even I had lost hope after a couple of weeks and increased damage from both sitting on the rocks, and through salvage attempts.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonis...3214ea5&k=43472

http://www.saanichnews.com/portals-code/li...=1041135&more=0

http://www.oakbaynews.com/portals-code/lis...=1046624&more=0

Coastie

Just saw an article that you were 'hiring crew' in Halifax. Out of curiosity, what's the tonnage of Royaliste? Looking to eventually get a sail endorsement to a master's license and was looking at different ships. I'd guess about 100 tons, but I could be wrong.

Coastie

Parallel to this topic: Hurricane Flags are making a comeback. This is more current events, but seemed to fit here.

Hurricane Flags.

You haven't seen them for almost two decades -- except perhaps in nautical-themed bars or fluttering outside shutter businesses -- and they're not a sight you're keen to see anyway.

But hurricane flags are making a comeback, through renewed government use and an increase in sales on the private market.

The boxy red flags with the black square will once again fly from South Florida Coast Guard stations when a hurricane comes barreling in, a symbol of renewed efforts by the Guard to cast itself as the watchdog for local boaters.

After using them for more than 100 years, the National Weather Service furled the flags in 1989, deferring to more-immediate means to warn of approaching storms such as radio and TV.

"It was recognized that in a day when technology ruled, there are many different ways to get important weather information to mariners," Greg Romano of the National Weather Service said from his Washington, D.C., office.

Colorful and quaint, the flags harken to the 1800s as an offshoot of weather-alert flags for farmers. But they are less than highly efficient when it comes to urgent storm warnings: You have to be within view to receive their message. And these days, you would have to be living in a cave not to know when a hurricane is threatening.

The flags are being distributed to the 20 Coast Guard stations in the 7th District, which includes Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, including six Guard stations from Key West to West Palm Beach, said Petty Officer Dana Warr.

"A lot of our stations are right on major waterways," Warr said. "If you're leaving Port Everglades, you'll see the flag flying at Station Fort Lauderdale."

Other districts along the East Coast will be resurrecting the flags, but it's in South Florida where they may be run up the flagpole most.

Though the flags' effectiveness is limited, the Coast Guard is relying on the maritime tradition to serve as a public-relations tool. "We're re-establishing the program to reaffirm to the community the Coast Guard's role as experts concerning local boating matters," Warr said. "We want to establish ourselves with the boating community in providing information."

Hurricane flags are also enjoying a renaissance at hotels, bars and rental properties -- the primary purchasers of the flags, according to Kerry McCoy with FlagandBanner, a Little Rock, Ark., firm that has been manufacturing and selling flags for more than 30 years.

"In the last few years, the sales have probably gone up 90 percent," she said. "I used to sell three or four a year; now I sell at least 25."

Many of the flags are purchased by small businesses along the Gulf of Mexico, and McCoy attributes the spike to the recent flurry of hurricanes there and in Florida. "Every time you turn around you've got a storm," she said.

The origin of the flags and their design stumps even expert vexillologists, or those who study flags. "Who chose the original ones and why they were chosen, I don't know offhand," said Whitney Smith, founder of the Flag Research Center in Winchester, Mass., and a national flag expert.

"Buried in the National Archives you've probably got a memo outlining the process," said Joseph McMillan, an Alexandria, Va., flag researcher. Weather flags originally were used to warn farmers in the late 19th century, he said. Large flags, some 6 feet by 8 feet, were hung outside post offices to forecast cold spells, rain or wind.

Along the coasts, McMillan said, the military's signal service had stations to observe passing ships. The stations communicated with the ships by signal flag and telegraphed a vessel's progress to ports and shipping firms. McMillan's research led him to a 1883 government booklet outlining the stations' signal codes for storms, including today's storm warning: a square black inset in a square red flag.

In 1898, President McKinley ordered the Weather Bureau, the precursor of the National Weather Service, to establish a hurricane-warning network, which apparently adopted the signal station's hurricane flag.

Its design likely was a matter of selecting highly recognizable shapes and colors. "They're just distinct, clearly visible geometric forms," McMillan said, "probably chosen because these particular designs weren't already part of another signal code at the time."

Coastie

Not sure about back then, but now the India flag (yellow with a black ball in the center) is a signal for quarantine.

Coastie

Yes, I understand. 'Tis a damned shame, though, eh? I've seen some of the regulations for those parades. I believe it's usually "show as much sail as you can, but have your engine on immediate standby for maneuvering and keeping station". Best of luck on the repairs.

Coastie

Royaliste,

I'm disappointed. I know your sailing abilities. Yet, you lament a faulty engine? As long as the wind didn't fail you, you should have had no excuse. However, good luck getting the girl back to rights. Fair Winds.

Coastie

Capt. Enigma brought up a point that I forgot to mention before. The long boats were the work horses of the day, much like a Hummer in the army today. It would be configured to it's purpose. I've seen the boats rigged with between 1 and three masts, and the masts can be stepped in multiple places. So, the masts could be stepped around whatever cargo they were carrying. I've seen an engraving before of a long boat loaded with supplies nearly all the way up the single foremast, one person on top of the cargo with a pair of oars, one person on the rudder, and a single stays'l by the bow. Obviously, if the long boats are being used to tow a becalmed ship, they wouldn't even worry about stepping the masts. They also were employed to carry cannons or swivel guns as well. Below are a few pictures from a google search of long boats in different configurations. Many are from http://www.privateermedia.com/boats/boats.htm, which also has specs of size for them, as well as many more small boats from the 17th-19th Centuries

Coastie

Don't know if there are any specific specs. I learned that it was slightly less than the distance from the foremast to the mainmast, as that's where they were stored. To me, this seems to say that each vessel might have a different sized long boat, and as they were work vessels, they may have been replaced at some point with whatever fit. Granted, I've not seen any historical documentation for this, it's what I've learned from sailing on a 1750's replica merchant vessel, so although it makes sense, it could be entirely different for the Royal Navy.

Coastie

Living right by the mayor? Lucky you, have you ever had to ask for a pardon?

Hell with the pardon, ask for a Letter of Marque!!!

Coastie :angry:

The pistol that shot Lincoln was a rifled .44 caliber percussion cap Derringer. Another interesting note is that it had a left-handed rifling, whereas the norm is right-handed.

These pictures, as well as an article about the firearm that killed Lincoln came from the FBI website at http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/fsc/backissu/jan...2001/schehl.htm

Coastie :angry:

I'll have to agree with Chapman here, though with a disclaimer: I don't know the date that barrels, etc. became standardized to their current volumes. I've spent a great deal of time at Mystic Seaport, and one of their common topics is loading a whaling ship of the 18th-19th Century. Yes, this is way out of period, but bear with me. One subject they bring up a lot is the size of barrels. Often, barrels of the time were customized by the ship's cooper to make the best use of the space below decks. They weren't even all round, but some oblong or somewhat triangular shaped, depending on the shape of the hull, where beams were, etc. Each barrel (meaning the object, not the measurement), was meant for a certain spot on the ship in order to minimize wasted space between barrels. Therefore, they were not standard sizes. They were probably approximated, but shape and size did differ.

As an aside, ship's tunnage was measured by how many tuns (as above, 216 gallons, or 6 barrels) of cargo they could hold. Well, if you go with round barrels, the tunnage is considerably less than custom shaped ones. Furthermore, the ship would be limited by weight, as some cargos are much more dense than others. Eventually, the tunnage of a ship became how much weight she could hold, and now it is commonly measured in long tons (2240 lbs, regular US measurement is the short ton, 2000 lbs). Just given the name, it lends to speculation that there were different sized tuns, which eventually led to the long/short tuns. This was post-19th C. whaling. So, my opinion, based on what information I have, is that in GAOP, it is unlikely that a standard sized barrel was set yet. Even if it was, it was probably more of an approximation.

If anyone has better evidence, as this is based of off out of period knowledge, please post it.

Coastie

Love to, but with getting married in a little over two months, as well as the fact that I doubt you'd comp shipping to Alaska, I just don't see it as feasable right now. She's a beauty, though.

Coastie

Personally, I'm still fascinated with this thread. Yes, it has been a bit graphic, but it relates directly to piracy. Pirates killed and were killed. Back then, death was just more commonplace for a variety of reasons, from disease to harsher punishments. Discussing it in detail is no different from discussing dress, food (which can put off your stomach as much as this thread), ships, politics of the timeperiod, or weapons. Sure, it is a morbid topic. Turn on the news, watch any horror or action movie, and it's the same thing, but with actual graphics. You don't need to keep reading this post if it upsets or offends you. Quite frankly, I view death itself is rather fascinating. I know I'm not the only one, or there wouldn't be movies like Hannibal, Murder at 1600, Boondock Saints, and The Devil's Own (just a couple that stood out on my shelf). Like all topics here, it'll run it's course until people get either bored or run out of new information.

Coastie

Unfortunately, it all comes down to money. There are quite a few old ships out there that desprately need money to be saved. Heck, there's a clipper ship in Scotland very similar to the Cutty Sark that is going to be dismantled due to lack of funds for a restoration. I've volunteered helping the Wawona, a schooner in Seattle. Unfortunately, pretty much all the work is done by volunteers and there's only one or two people that really work on it. It's the largest wooden schooner ever built in North America, so it's definitely up there on the significance scale. Seattle almost evicted the ship when they decided to build a maritime park there. Go figure, build a maritime park and evict the tall ship. Instead, they should just help pay for a good, complete restoration and use it as a major attraction.

Coastie

Patrick,

Thanks for the info on the armor. I was just quoting the book, though I know very little about armor except that it's SUPPOSED to help you live and can look really cool. Personally, I depict post-GAOP, around 1750-1770 or so. Therefore, armor would just look silly.

Harbormaster,

Enjoy the book. It's definitely gruesome and goes into detail about some of the common torture techniques of the time. Until reading that, I didn't realize that Magellan had men drawn and quartered, both from his crew and natives alike. Also didn't realize that he dealt with a couple of mutinies as well. Definitely an eye-opener about the age of exploration.

Coastie

That's awesome! I wonder if they found any artifacts or remanents of the battle as well.

Coastie

http://www.mby.com/auto/newsdesk/200705181...101mbynews.html

Cutty Sark restorers at London show

The British Marine Federation have pledged to help the Cutty Sark Trust with a formal agreement over three years.

The BMF and their boat show organising arm National Boat Shows will use the London Boat Show to help raise awareness and funds for the project to save the Cutty Sark following the fire that swept through the historic ship last month.

The agreement will last beyond the time when it is anticipated the Greenwich based Cutty Sark will re-open to the public in 2010.

In addition, the BMF will promote The Cutty Sark Trust to the industry and its 1,600 members.

It is anticipated that the Cutty Sark will have its own area at the London Boat Show at ExCeL and there will be regular presentations on screens to bring visitors up to date on the progress of its restoration.

The Cutty Sark Trust will also be working on elements of the conservation project at the show, bringing back to life actual original parts of the vessel.

The public will get a chance to see some of the techniques behind the mix of cutting-edge science and time-honoured craftsmanship that the project involves.

Fran Turner, Cutty Sark Development Director explains: "We are delighted to be partnering with the London Boat Show at ExCeL. This international event will provide a fantastic platform for us to engage with lovers of maritime life and history from all over the world and raise much needed funds to get the Cutty Sark ship shape once again."

Rob Stevens, Chief Executive of the British Marine Federation and National Boat Shows, comments: "The Cutty Sark is the epitome of the great age of sail and is a maritime icon. The fire on board was a significant blow for the millions of visitors who have seen the vessel at Greenwich and for this country's heritage as a whole. We are delighted to work in an exclusive industry partnership with The Cutty Sark Trust to help raise the money needed to preserve the ship through the London Boat Show at ExCeL and the Federation's members."

The London Boat Show runs from 11-20 January 2008.

I just finished reading a book about Magellan's voyage (almost) around the world called "Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe" by Laurence Bergreen. Now, I know it's far earlier than the GAOP (early 1500's), but I feel it would be fitting here. Now, this book is an interesting read, and definitely enlightened me to some of the cruelty of the period that I just usually didn't connect with maritime history. However, I'm also convinced that the author knows nothing about actually going to sea. Nonetheless, it seems like a fairly well researched book. It mentions that "the fleet carried one hundred sets of armor...consisting of corselets, cuirasses, helmets, breastplates, and visors. Magellan brought his own deluxe armor, which included a coat of mail, body armor, and six swords. His helmet was topped withb right plumage." (pp 147-8). However, the only time that the book ever mentions them using this armor, is to demonstrate power over the natives, or to fight on land. Sure, there might have been some chance to don armor when repelling borders, but the few times Magellan does, armor is never mentioned. Cannons and firearms are what 'saves the day'. Additionally, Magellan only carried 100 sets of armor for the original 260 sailors of the fleet. So, it seems that armor was already going out of style due to the firearm in the early 1500's. Give firearms 150 years of evolution, and armor was probably completely pointless.

Disclaimer: This is based on one secondary source about a different time period, from which I made assumptions. I realize that for the strict historian, this doesn't mean squat, but I felt that this particular book was fairly well researched (though the author might make a few incorrect assumptions, especially about life at sea, it's pretty clear where his opinions are inserted).

Coastie

Lynn Canal

Another shot of Lynn Canal

Sitka from Mt. Verstovia

I've got some great ones from my last patrol, including close-ups of a couple of humpbacks breaching, as well as some spectacular scenery. I still need to download them, as I just got back today. Oh, and Tracey Arm from a couple of trips ago...you won't believe it. Hopefully I'll be able to post them in a couple of days.

Coastie

Rabbitz, it's a great dream, but really is nothing more than that for the Cutty Sark. I'd say that the primary difference is that the Cutty Sark is wood, where as the James Craig is iron/steel. In order to make the Cutty Sark seaworthy again, it would pretty much require a complete rebuild. If that were proposed, I'd rather see a replica built on her lines and sailed, rather than destroying the historical artifacts of the original timbers. However, that's just my opinion. Right now, I'm just hoping she gets restored as complete as possible and as soon as possible.

Coastie

That is just awesome! As far as the debate over whaling is concerned, I've seen lots of the small Alaskan towns. They really won't dent the population of whales, and they really need the food. It's subsistance living.

Coastie