Coastie04

Oh the Coasties are gonna LOVE us....

Yep, I do...I can't wait t' find me way down there one o' these days.

BTW, on the Constitution's guns. Depends which one they were firing. A couple of her 24pdrs have had the breech half cut and pivoted, and the bore sleeved. They now fire 20mm blank rounds with a lanyard attached to the breech rear. I was amazed and disgusted when I attended the gunnery class on her. Their excuse was that since it had to fire on time everyday, this was the best way to ensure that. They also don't always have muzzleloader qualified crew about. It's a bloody shame, if you ask me......

How could they??? I feel cheated

Two bits I have to add here.

First, in my experience with naval cannons (at least in modern times), the bore is given a good swabbing with a wet swab. Any embers still in the bore would be given a good wetting down. Of course, I've really only had experience with smaller bore sizes. Mostly 3-lbers and approx 1-lb swivels, but I've had limited experience with 6 and 12-lbers. Very limited experience with one of the Constitution's 24-lbers. I was just off the port bow when colors went off (they used the forwardmost port cannon)...scared the shit out of me, as I didn't know they fired one o' her cannons for colors.

Second, the pantyhose might seem good, but I'd imagine it would melt and leave residue inside the bore. Over time it probably isn't the best thing for a cannon.

Coastie

I started celebrating my birthday drinking a bottle of wine...sitting in the cockpit with a champagne cocktail...full rig, smoking jacket, smart new trousers, black shoes, etc. The only slipup is that I have left my bow-tie behind, and have had to use an ordinary black tie.

-Sir Francis Chichester

Happy Adventure puttered blindly into the dark and brooding murk and I was soon fog-chilled, unutterably lonely, and scared to death. Since rum is a known and accepted antidote for all three conditions I took a long, curative drink for each separate ailment.

-Farley Mowat

Here's on that goes out to all those who've e'er been taken advantage of in port:

If yer thinkin' o' pirates an' rum,

And fair lass's pretty young bums,

Make sure that yer carefull,

And ever are prarefull,

That ye've got control o' the guns.

Coastie

I'm used to making modern cartriges as such:

-Get dowel rod of approximate size of cannon bore

-Wrap a bit of tin foil around it, and twist the bottom end

-Smash this bottom end flat

-Take out dowel rod and insert measured (approx) amount of powder

-Insert a bit of bisquick for wadding (works great)

-Twist top end of tin foil taking care not to flatten that side out

-Insert cartrige with twisty end pointing out of cannon

-Ram home...etc.

=BOOM

Coastie

"First the powder, then the Ball..!"

I'll be a bit more elaborate for those who don't know the fine inticracies of lighting an explosion inside a hollow metal tube.

First, put the powder in and ram it home. Often, this powder can be pre-measured in a canvas bag or something. Then, the ball or shot. Sometimes even after the ball, a wadding of some sort would be inserted to keep the ball from rolling out of the muzzle. Then, prick and prime the pan...That is, stick a metal spike into the touch hole to lance the cartrige of powder and make sure that the touch hole is free of obstructions. Then, put some powder in the pan (prime it). Lastly, aim and light the powder in the pan. Make sure you're not standing directly behind the cannon when it goes off, and ear protection is recommended.

Coastie

Not original, but it belongs here nonetheless.

Captain Hook died where you will be sittin'

He wiped with the wrong hand when he was done shittin'

The five of us divided the watches, moving in progression in a system so complicated that an argument invariable arose every four hours.

-Edward H. Dodd, Jr.

A small craft on the ocean is, or should be, a benevolent dictatorship.

-Tristan Jones

I'm not sure about this particular piece, but I do know that some caplocks can be converted into flintlocks. My dad has a few rifles of that can be converted either way.

Coastie

Unfortunately, they don't let me out until the 13th, so I won't be there. Otherwise, I'd be there in a heartbeat. Hope everyone has fun.

Coastie

I found this on gunbroker.com and thought some of you might be interested. It's caplock, but that's probably better than flintlock for shipboard use. It looks to be a great deal for reinactors. Unfortunately, I'm unable to purchase it right now, so I thought one of you might.

Pistol

Coastie

Round shot's got range and is cheaper than the explosive type, and I'd presume much safer as well. Round shot still had quite an impact bouncing through the well-ordered ranks and wreaking havoc in the enemy lines. Just watch some of the battle scenes from The Patriot. If you've got the powder to keep a constant rate of fire on the enemy, then use round shot until they get into range of grape and canister.

Coastie

When, staunchly entering a port, after long ventures, hauling up, worn and old, batter'd by the sea and wind, torn by many a fight, with the original sails all gone, replaced, or mended, I only saw, at last, the beauty of the ship...

-Walt Whitman

In the Great Age of Velcro, rope, knots, and all things done with them seem charmingly irrelevant. Then you step aboard a sailboat and realize that the rules have changed.

-David Seidman

Cruising is more than a sport. The mood of it comes over you at times, and you can neither work nor rest nor heed another call until you have a deck beneath your feet and point a bowsprit out to sea.

-Arthrur Sturgis Hildebrand

To me, nothing made by man is more beautiful than a sailboat under way in fine weather.

-Robert Manry

You forgot the best part of the quote...

To me, nothing made by man is more beautiful than a sailboat under way in fine weather, and to be on that sailboat is to be as close to heaven as I expect to get. It is unalloyed happiness.

-Robert Manry

I hope all goes well. If'n yer emergency be in Washington State, let me know if you need assistance. Me family be in the area, an' they'd be happy t' help.

Coastie

Freeboard's over rated. As they figured that out, the decks went away. Plus, it presents more of a target on the broadside. I've seen lumber barges loaded up until the stern was completely underwater. As long as it keeps its water-tight integrity, it's just fine.

Coastie

This is transcribed from Sea History magazine, as I thought it would be of great interest here. The picture is from another website.

A cannon from the wreck of a Civil War gunship nearly fired the final shot of the Civil War...100 years too late.  In 1863, the Union gunship USS Cairo was sent on a mission to seek out and destroy Confederate mines anchored in the Yazoo River near Vicksburg, Mississippi.  Instead of destroying the mines, however, the Cairo struck two of them simultaneously and sank in less than 15 minutes.  The hull of the gunship was uncovered in 1959, after having been buried for nearly 100 years on the muddy river bottom.  Salvors retrieved one of her well-preserved cannon and brought it to the Old Courthouse Museum in Vicksburg, where it was carefully cleaned, oiled, and put on display.  For more than ten years, thousands of visitors handled this time-traveling time bomb in the museum.  Then curators examining the cannon discovered that it was still loaded and ready to fire enough active black powder to blast a hole through the museum.

Luckily there's probably a 'no smoking' rule in the museum!

Coastie

You're planning to make a ship sail against wind and tide by lighting a fire below deck?? I don't have time to listen to that kind of nonsense!

- Napoleon, about Robert Fultons plans to make a Steamboat

I just got this off of the Lady Washington website:

It is official. Release of Walt Disney Pictures' Pirates of the Caribbean is slated for December 2nd 2003.

The DVD will include "Diary of a Ship", A video journal of the voyage of Lady Washington, from L.A. to the Caribbean. The crew had been hoping that this piece would be included in the DVD and I can now confirm that all sources check out. Lady Love is 100% certain that the voyage is included in the DVD.

I sure as hell can't wait! For those who want a sort of preview, the 'Caribbean Cronicles' link on the Lady Washington website has the story of this grand voyage. Definitely a rough one.

Coastie

Oooh, beta testing. Unfortunately they don't let me out much, so any more than playing a game and makin' suggestions wouldn't be possible. However, I'd love t' do whate'er I can.

Coastie

Well, apparently the Lady's crew enjoyed the view too, as there is a link to Gary's arse, ...uh, I mean my photo page, on thier website

I'm sure it's just to recognize that asshole as a target the next time they see it.

Coastie

A long time ago, some mention was made to the 'Rock & Roll' magazine of pirates. In my opinion, you've just hit it. The latest update on the Lady Washington webpage mentiones the Royaliste and her recent engagement with the Lady Washington, Hawaiian Chieftain, and the Aldebaron. Great pictures Seven.

Coastie