Boarding nets (whatever)

[Swashbuckler 1700]

I have seen them in Napoleonic vessels I meant things like here. see the side. But how old tradition is that net in ship's sides?

[Silver]

john smith (1600's) wrote about the use of netting to repel boarders, i think that the grappeling hook was a tool to remove the netting from a vessel to be boarded.

[Guest]

Didn't the Mary Rose have boarding nets.... and when she sunk, a lot of the crew couldn't get out because of them?

[Silver]

it did, that happened in the 1450's

[Grymm]

1540's

[Guest]

Yeah.. but the question was....

how old tradition is that net in ship's sides?

[Swashbuckler 1700]

But earlier nets seems to be more like roofs over the middle ship section

Later (late 18th C and early 19th C) nets were at ship's sides

Edited June 4, 2012 by Swashbuckler 1700

[Bos'n Cross]

Swashbuckler, the nets your refering to, on the sides of 18th and 19th century ships are for the storage of crews hammocks. The hammocks are rolled up during the day, and placed in the netting, if any combat were to occur, all of the hammocks would help protect the crew from grapeshot, and small arms fire. As for how far back the practice goes, I know it was at least done in the early 18th century....but im quite sure it goes farther than that, ill look in a few sources.....