Deperdussin1910

Louie, thank you for your reply.  The likes of which is why I began to post here.  I enjoy reading of your galley efforts. 
 
This subject has really pushed me into new areas of interest.  This O'Malley clan was one of the few maritime clans of Ireland.  For centuries, they traded with Spain and Portugal.  I feel they would have been influenced by the maritime technology coming out of the Mediterranean.  And as you noted, the Venetian galleys were trading in Flanders and England.  But, what maritime technology would the O'Malley clan adopt during the centuries of trading and raiding?  I'm lacking the academic term for it.  But, human nature suggests that if they saw a better tool, they'd use it.
 
More research...
 
-What type of hull construction would the O’Malley galley vessel likely have? A typical Irish galley used for trading would have been clinker built similar to the most historically popular Viking long ships. But, Grace’s maritime influences were far wider. From the RTE Archives Ireland's National Television and Radio Broadcaster, a1976 broadcast (like other sources) mentions the O’Malley's sailed galleys, lived by raiding merchant shipping, probably copied from like those of Spain, fast mobile ships, outmaneuver their prey, and that they were successful and dreaded. …a solid vote for Spanish influence which would not have a clinker hull.

- As to the size of the vessel…During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Genoa, Venice, and France maintained fleets powered by 25 three-man oars to a side and, later, five-man oars. Such ships might have a displacement of 200 tons and be approximately 164′ × 20′ in size. These were large enough to have cannons mounted on a platform at the bow. I’ve found no record that Grace’s galleys had cannon but this does give a good approximation of the size less the need for cannon.

- As to the sail shape…Some of the images show triangular sails that could also be lug sails. The lug sail was one of the earliest fore-and-aft rigs. The lug sail is considered an intermediate step between the square sail and the lateen sail, The lug developed in north Europe, most probably evolving directly from the square sail. In fact, many early lugs were nearly square. This could account for the images which look like square sails but are really lugs.
Lugs are useful in beach boats when rigs (and masts) need to be dropped. These galleys were used off the beach. And, the O’Malley’s had large crews to quickly down rig to lower their profile when hiding from a superior force. The lug rig was widely used in Europe from the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries for small fishing vessels and other coasters because of their good performance to windward. This popularity extended to smugglers and privateers. Before the lug was widely used, could Grace have been using it?
If the O’Malley galleys probably had triangular shape sails, either lateen or lug, there is a curious modern connection called the Achill yawls of county Mayo. (In Ireland, yawl means a boat over 18 feet, anything shorter is a punt.) They have a short-luffed, triangular, almost lateen shaped dipping lug which has been favored for small working boats on the south and west coasts of Ireland. And, these early yawls were double-enders which are a favorable hull shapes for beach boats. Could these be the descendants of Grace’s galleys?

-As to the number of masts, by the late 15th century, the standard merchant hull size became large enough to efficiently carry two or three masts with lateen sails. There was quite a transformation in ship design going from the cog, to the carvel, and finally to the carrack. The O’Malleys would have been exposed to all this as traders with Portugal and Spain. Given the size of crews that Grace was able to employ. I see it likely that their long hulls would have demanded multiple masts to drive them.

-There is also a ‘Barbary Pirates’ possible influence to what craft the O’Malley clan vessels rowed and sailed. First, these pirates were contemporaries. Their predation extended throughout the Mediterranean, south along West Africa's Atlantic seaboard and into the North Atlantic as far north as Iceland. Their galleys, called xebecs, had high bows and sterns to handle rough water. In 1830 the French took the lines off a captured Algerian xebec which has a much plainer constructions than the ornate versions shown in most paintings.  In 1631, Barbary Pirates even invaded the harbor village of “…Baltimore, County Cork, captured almost all the villagers and took them away to a life of slavery in North Africa.” There is even a direct link to Grace’s galley being attacked by Barbary Pirates shortly after one of her pregnancies. Long after Europeans had abandoned oar-driven vessels in favor of sailing ships carrying tons of powerful cannon, many Barbary warships were galleys carrying a hundred or more fighting men armed with cutlasses and small arms. This was Grace’s way of warfare. It’s likely she would have adopted any of their methods or technology for her advantage.

-An esteemed maritime source is Fredrik Henrik af Chapman’s Architectura Navalis Mercatoria. In this, he shows a galley of 16 pairs of oars, with two men on every oar, rigged with lateen sails. Her length stem to stern is 114′ 6″; Beam is 17’0″; Draft is 6’3″. This length could have carried the size crews that Grace commanded. The vessel has a higher bow for northern waters than the lower style Mediterranean bows and two masts to drive the hull. Could Grace have commanded similar versions without the ornamentation of a state-owned craft?

-In review, a general description of the galley reads as, “The galley’s size, structure, and oar-based propulsion varied from one country’s fleet to another, but they all shared certain characteristics. All had hulls about 136 feet long by about 17 or 18 feet wide topped by an outrigger assembly. They were deceptively long and light, and they were capable of transporting large numbers of soldiers, who could be rapidly disembarked to storm a fortress or engage an enemy force.” This is an excellent description of Grace’s gallowglass carrying trade.  One of the traditional jobs of the O'Malley clans was to ferry Scotish warriors to other Irish clans who hired them as mercenaries.  The Chapman’s galley 16 pairs of oars may be the closest ship plan I can find.

...more to come

Louie, thank you for your reply.  The likes of which is why I began to post here.  I enjoy reading of your galley efforts. 
 
This subject has really pushed me into new areas of interest.  This O'Malley clan was one of the few maritime clans of Ireland.  For centuries, they traded with Spain and Portugal.  I feel they would have been influenced by the maritime technology coming out of the Mediterranean.  And as you noted, the Venetian galleys were trading in Flanders and England.  But, what maritime technology would the O'Malley clan adopt during the centuries of trading and raiding?  I'm lacking the academic term for it.  But, human nature suggests that if they saw a better tool, they'd use it.
 
More research...
 
-What type of hull construction would the O’Malley galley vessel likely have? A typical Irish galley used for trading would have been clinker built similar to the most historically popular Viking long ships. But, Grace’s maritime influences were far wider. From the RTE Archives Ireland's National Television and Radio Broadcaster, a1976 broadcast (like other sources) mentions the O’Malley's sailed galleys, lived by raiding merchant shipping, probably copied from like those of Spain, fast mobile ships, outmaneuver their prey, and that they were successful and dreaded. …a solid vote for Spanish influence which would not have a clinker hull.

- As to the size of the vessel…During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Genoa, Venice, and France maintained fleets powered by 25 three-man oars to a side and, later, five-man oars. Such ships might have a displacement of 200 tons and be approximately 164′ × 20′ in size. These were large enough to have cannons mounted on a platform at the bow. I’ve found no record that Grace’s galleys had cannon but this does give a good approximation of the size less the need for cannon.

- As to the sail shape…Some of the images show triangular sails that could also be lug sails. The lug sail was one of the earliest fore-and-aft rigs. The lug sail is considered an intermediate step between the square sail and the lateen sail, The lug developed in north Europe, most probably evolving directly from the square sail. In fact, many early lugs were nearly square. This could account for the images which look like square sails but are really lugs.
Lugs are useful in beach boats when rigs (and masts) need to be dropped. These galleys were used off the beach. And, the O’Malley’s had large crews to quickly down rig to lower their profile when hiding from a superior force. The lug rig was widely used in Europe from the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries for small fishing vessels and other coasters because of their good performance to windward. This popularity extended to smugglers and privateers. Before the lug was widely used, could Grace have been using it?
If the O’Malley galleys probably had triangular shape sails, either lateen or lug, there is a curious modern connection called the Achill yawls of county Mayo. (In Ireland, yawl means a boat over 18 feet, anything shorter is a punt.) They have a short-luffed, triangular, almost lateen shaped dipping lug which has been favored for small working boats on the south and west coasts of Ireland. And, these early yawls were double-enders which are a favorable hull shapes for beach boats. Could these be the descendants of Grace’s galleys?

-As to the number of masts, by the late 15th century, the standard merchant hull size became large enough to efficiently carry two or three masts with lateen sails. There was quite a transformation in ship design going from the cog, to the carvel, and finally to the carrack. The O’Malleys would have been exposed to all this as traders with Portugal and Spain. Given the size of crews that Grace was able to employ. I see it likely that their long hulls would have demanded multiple masts to drive them.

-There is also a ‘Barbary Pirates’ possible influence to what craft the O’Malley clan vessels rowed and sailed. First, these pirates were contemporaries. Their predation extended throughout the Mediterranean, south along West Africa's Atlantic seaboard and into the North Atlantic as far north as Iceland. Their galleys, called xebecs, had high bows and sterns to handle rough water. In 1830 the French took the lines off a captured Algerian xebec which has a much plainer constructions than the ornate versions shown in most paintings.  In 1631, Barbary Pirates even invaded the harbor village of “…Baltimore, County Cork, captured almost all the villagers and took them away to a life of slavery in North Africa.” There is even a direct link to Grace’s galley being attacked by Barbary Pirates shortly after one of her pregnancies. Long after Europeans had abandoned oar-driven vessels in favor of sailing ships carrying tons of powerful cannon, many Barbary warships were galleys carrying a hundred or more fighting men armed with cutlasses and small arms. This was Grace’s way of warfare. It’s likely she would have adopted any of their methods or technology for her advantage.

-An esteemed maritime source is Fredrik Henrik af Chapman’s Architectura Navalis Mercatoria. In this, he shows a galley of 16 pairs of oars, with two men on every oar, rigged with lateen sails. Her length stem to stern is 114′ 6″; Beam is 17’0″; Draft is 6’3″. This length could have carried the size crews that Grace commanded. The vessel has a higher bow for northern waters than the lower style Mediterranean bows and two masts to drive the hull. Could Grace have commanded similar versions without the ornamentation of a state-owned craft?

-In review, a general description of the galley reads as, “The galley’s size, structure, and oar-based propulsion varied from one country’s fleet to another, but they all shared certain characteristics. All had hulls about 136 feet long by about 17 or 18 feet wide topped by an outrigger assembly. They were deceptively long and light, and they were capable of transporting large numbers of soldiers, who could be rapidly disembarked to storm a fortress or engage an enemy force.” This is an excellent description of Grace’s gallowglass carrying trade.  One of the traditional jobs of the O'Malley clans was to ferry Scotish warriors to other Irish clans who hired them as mercenaries.  The Chapman’s galley 16 pairs of oars may be the closest ship plan I can find.

...more to come

Louie, thank you for your reply.  The likes of which is why I began to post here.  I enjoy reading of your galley efforts. 
 
This subject has really pushed me into new areas of interest.  This O'Malley clan was one of the few maritime clans of Ireland.  For centuries, they traded with Spain and Portugal.  I feel they would have been influenced by the maritime technology coming out of the Mediterranean.  And as you noted, the Venetian galleys were trading in Flanders and England.  But, what maritime technology would the O'Malley clan adopt during the centuries of trading and raiding?  I'm lacking the academic term for it.  But, human nature suggests that if they saw a better tool, they'd use it.
 
More research...
 
-What type of hull construction would the O’Malley galley vessel likely have? A typical Irish galley used for trading would have been clinker built similar to the most historically popular Viking long ships. But, Grace’s maritime influences were far wider. From the RTE Archives Ireland's National Television and Radio Broadcaster, a1976 broadcast (like other sources) mentions the O’Malley's sailed galleys, lived by raiding merchant shipping, probably copied from like those of Spain, fast mobile ships, outmaneuver their prey, and that they were successful and dreaded. …a solid vote for Spanish influence which would not have a clinker hull.

- As to the size of the vessel…During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Genoa, Venice, and France maintained fleets powered by 25 three-man oars to a side and, later, five-man oars. Such ships might have a displacement of 200 tons and be approximately 164′ × 20′ in size. These were large enough to have cannons mounted on a platform at the bow. I’ve found no record that Grace’s galleys had cannon but this does give a good approximation of the size less the need for cannon.

- As to the sail shape…Some of the images show triangular sails that could also be lug sails. The lug sail was one of the earliest fore-and-aft rigs. The lug sail is considered an intermediate step between the square sail and the lateen sail, The lug developed in north Europe, most probably evolving directly from the square sail. In fact, many early lugs were nearly square. This could account for the images which look like square sails but are really lugs.
Lugs are useful in beach boats when rigs (and masts) need to be dropped. These galleys were used off the beach. And, the O’Malley’s had large crews to quickly down rig to lower their profile when hiding from a superior force. The lug rig was widely used in Europe from the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries for small fishing vessels and other coasters because of their good performance to windward. This popularity extended to smugglers and privateers. Before the lug was widely used, could Grace have been using it?
If the O’Malley galleys probably had triangular shape sails, either lateen or lug, there is a curious modern connection called the Achill yawls of county Mayo. (In Ireland, yawl means a boat over 18 feet, anything shorter is a punt.) They have a short-luffed, triangular, almost lateen shaped dipping lug which has been favored for small working boats on the south and west coasts of Ireland. And, these early yawls were double-enders which are a favorable hull shapes for beach boats. Could these be the descendants of Grace’s galleys?

-As to the number of masts, by the late 15th century, the standard merchant hull size became large enough to efficiently carry two or three masts with lateen sails. There was quite a transformation in ship design going from the cog, to the carvel, and finally to the carrack. The O’Malleys would have been exposed to all this as traders with Portugal and Spain. Given the size of crews that Grace was able to employ. I see it likely that their long hulls would have demanded multiple masts to drive them.

-There is also a ‘Barbary Pirates’ possible influence to what craft the O’Malley clan vessels rowed and sailed. First, these pirates were contemporaries. Their predation extended throughout the Mediterranean, south along West Africa's Atlantic seaboard and into the North Atlantic as far north as Iceland. Their galleys, called xebecs, had high bows and sterns to handle rough water. In 1830 the French took the lines off a captured Algerian xebec which has a much plainer constructions than the ornate versions shown in most paintings.  In 1631, Barbary Pirates even invaded the harbor village of “…Baltimore, County Cork, captured almost all the villagers and took them away to a life of slavery in North Africa.” There is even a direct link to Grace’s galley being attacked by Barbary Pirates shortly after one of her pregnancies. Long after Europeans had abandoned oar-driven vessels in favor of sailing ships carrying tons of powerful cannon, many Barbary warships were galleys carrying a hundred or more fighting men armed with cutlasses and small arms. This was Grace’s way of warfare. It’s likely she would have adopted any of their methods or technology for her advantage.

-An esteemed maritime source is Fredrik Henrik af Chapman’s Architectura Navalis Mercatoria. In this, he shows a galley of 16 pairs of oars, with two men on every oar, rigged with lateen sails. Her length stem to stern is 114′ 6″; Beam is 17’0″; Draft is 6’3″. This length could have carried the size crews that Grace commanded. The vessel has a higher bow for northern waters than the lower style Mediterranean bows and two masts to drive the hull. Could Grace have commanded similar versions without the ornamentation of a state-owned craft?

-In review, a general description of the galley reads as, “The galley’s size, structure, and oar-based propulsion varied from one country’s fleet to another, but they all shared certain characteristics. All had hulls about 136 feet long by about 17 or 18 feet wide topped by an outrigger assembly. They were deceptively long and light, and they were capable of transporting large numbers of soldiers, who could be rapidly disembarked to storm a fortress or engage an enemy force.” This is an excellent description of Grace’s gallowglass carrying trade.  One of the traditional jobs of the O'Malley clans was to ferry Scotish warriors to other Irish clans who hired them as mercenaries.  The Chapman’s galley 16 pairs of oars may be the closest ship plan I can find.

...more to come

Research on what type of galley:

It is a challenge determining which full size vessel to model. No archeological remains have been found which would enable a detailed reconstruction of the Irish galley in question. So, I need to determine the most logical choice of vessel given my level of research. There will be no absolute correct choice until they un-earth an O’Malley galley.

-There is no shortage of information about galleys used in the Mediterranean during the Greek and Roman empires. These are well before the late 1500s that I’m researching. It is harder to find information outside the Med. However, there were two very important naval battles that can shed some information. The 1571 Battle of Lepanto and the 1588 Armada show galleys with triangular sails. Countering this is a 1588 minted English Armadian medal depicting a single square sail on a Spanish galley. Is this just artistic license?

-The battle of Lepanto was fought in the Med. and the Armada was fought in the English channel. This shows that galleys were used outside of the Med. Importantly, galleys where still used into the early 19th century in the Baltic. This shows that given the right coastal conditions, they could still be an effective fighting force.  

-Which type of sailing rig would have been used: square sail, lug sail, or triangular/ lateen sails? It’s generally considered that fore-and-aft sails are more maneuverable in-shore than square sails. Grace O’Malley used the islands, bays, and coves, of Western Ireland to her advantage. Would she have been sailing these waters or rowing? Importantly, here crews were free clansmen and not chained galley slaves. I think she would have kept the strength of her oarsmen until the last rush towards an enemy and for fighting. So, a more maneuverable fore-and-aft sails is likely.

-For hundreds of years, the O'Malley clan traded with Spain and Portugal. This would have given them an extensive exposure to Mediterranean craft of the leading maritime powers. For clan strength, they probably incorporated any Mediterranean design that would have given them a trading or raiding advantage.

-The Clare Island Abbey where Grace O’Malley is reported to be buried has a carved stone ship image which shows a high sided, single-mast (square-sail yard?) of a 12-oar vessel. All visual evidence must be weighed with written evidence because artists may have never seen the vessel they are depicting. And, this carving may have been created well after the death of Grace.

-The best supporting evidence for the Clare Island carving is the recreation of a Scottish galley. The most surprising thing I found out about these vessels is that "Celtic Berlinn Nyvaigs (Scotish Galley) preceded Viking longboats, not the other way around". The recreation vessel built and sailed in the 1990s is called the galley Aileach which has a single mast and carries a square sail. But, later research stated this design misleading in its short length (40’) and cramped rowing stations. In its favor, it does have a high sided bow to handle the rougher northern European waters. Along with, “Both Celtic & Nordic galleys could have two or three men on each oar so even a small galley could transport 40 to 50 warriors quickly…The larger galley could hold more than 100 warriors" This suggest that one could count crew by the number of oars, then double or triple that and then add a speculative number of transported warriors.

-Some of Grace O’Malley’s struggle against the English is recorded in the written evidence of the English State Papers. For example in 1559, "There are three very good galleys with Tibbot ne Longe, sone to Grany O’Malley, his brother and O’Malley that will carry 300 men apiece…” This suggests a much larger vessel than the typical 8 to 12 oar vessels common at the time. And in July of 1601, the HMS Tramontana captured an O'Malley 30-oar galley with "a hundred good shots"...which suggests more than 100 aboard. The transporting of warriors was part of the O’Malley trading practice.

…more research to come

Research on what type of galley:

It is a challenge determining which full size vessel to model. No archeological remains have been found which would enable a detailed reconstruction of the Irish galley in question. So, I need to determine the most logical choice of vessel given my level of research. There will be no absolute correct choice until they un-earth an O’Malley galley.

-There is no shortage of information about galleys used in the Mediterranean during the Greek and Roman empires. These are well before the late 1500s that I’m researching. It is harder to find information outside the Med. However, there were two very important naval battles that can shed some information. The 1571 Battle of Lepanto and the 1588 Armada show galleys with triangular sails. Countering this is a 1588 minted English Armadian medal depicting a single square sail on a Spanish galley. Is this just artistic license?

-The battle of Lepanto was fought in the Med. and the Armada was fought in the English channel. This shows that galleys were used outside of the Med. Importantly, galleys where still used into the early 19th century in the Baltic. This shows that given the right coastal conditions, they could still be an effective fighting force.  

-Which type of sailing rig would have been used: square sail, lug sail, or triangular/ lateen sails? It’s generally considered that fore-and-aft sails are more maneuverable in-shore than square sails. Grace O’Malley used the islands, bays, and coves, of Western Ireland to her advantage. Would she have been sailing these waters or rowing? Importantly, here crews were free clansmen and not chained galley slaves. I think she would have kept the strength of her oarsmen until the last rush towards an enemy and for fighting. So, a more maneuverable fore-and-aft sails is likely.

-For hundreds of years, the O'Malley clan traded with Spain and Portugal. This would have given them an extensive exposure to Mediterranean craft of the leading maritime powers. For clan strength, they probably incorporated any Mediterranean design that would have given them a trading or raiding advantage.

-The Clare Island Abbey where Grace O’Malley is reported to be buried has a carved stone ship image which shows a high sided, single-mast (square-sail yard?) of a 12-oar vessel. All visual evidence must be weighed with written evidence because artists may have never seen the vessel they are depicting. And, this carving may have been created well after the death of Grace.

-The best supporting evidence for the Clare Island carving is the recreation of a Scottish galley. The most surprising thing I found out about these vessels is that "Celtic Berlinn Nyvaigs (Scotish Galley) preceded Viking longboats, not the other way around". The recreation vessel built and sailed in the 1990s is called the galley Aileach which has a single mast and carries a square sail. But, later research stated this design misleading in its short length (40’) and cramped rowing stations. In its favor, it does have a high sided bow to handle the rougher northern European waters. Along with, “Both Celtic & Nordic galleys could have two or three men on each oar so even a small galley could transport 40 to 50 warriors quickly…The larger galley could hold more than 100 warriors" This suggest that one could count crew by the number of oars, then double or triple that and then add a speculative number of transported warriors.

-Some of Grace O’Malley’s struggle against the English is recorded in the written evidence of the English State Papers. For example in 1559, "There are three very good galleys with Tibbot ne Longe, sone to Grany O’Malley, his brother and O’Malley that will carry 300 men apiece…” This suggests a much larger vessel than the typical 8 to 12 oar vessels common at the time. And in July of 1601, the HMS Tramontana captured an O'Malley 30-oar galley with "a hundred good shots"...which suggests more than 100 aboard. The transporting of warriors was part of the O’Malley trading practice.

…more research to come

I usually scratch-build RC ship models of the 19thc.  Recently, my interests changed to earlier time periods where I have little source material.  So, I'm posting here for your help.  I've read/viewed some great build logs here of earlier ship types.  I hope my efforts may add to that interest.
 
I'll begin to post my research that I need to do to determine what the model will look like.  As far as I know, no plans exist of a of Irish Galley c.1580.
 
Historical background:

It’s hard to research Irish Maritime history for several reasons. At first glance, you’d think it wouldn’t be. It is an island. Of course, they’d be interested in the water and boats. But, that has not been the case. They are a culture that has been suppressed for over half a millennium. Since English King Henry VIII in the 1500s, Ireland has been under siege and then conquered by a policy called Surrender and Regrant. Later, there was the Plantation Policy by Queens Mary and Elizabeth I. Their language, customs, laws, and certainly history have altered to demoralize them through the filter of a conquered nation. Any state promotion of an anti-English history (which this model represents) was suppressed. And this in turn, lead to a perpetual rebellion against a corrupt authority.

One of those rebelling clans was the O’Malley clan in western Ireland in the County of Mayo. In the 1500s and as it had been for many centuries, Western Ireland was the far west of western Europe. So far west, that it was not even conquered by the Romans or Vikings. This gave the Island a longer period of insolation to form their own customs than any other peoples of Europe. Ireland never had the unifying force of the Roman government and army. Various clans ruled and warred amongst themselves for limited control of limited parts of the Ireland. The O’Malley clan was one of those Western clans. They ruled over the baronies of Murrisk and Burishoole. They were somewhat unique in that their power came from a combination of warriors to control land and seafarers to trade and war on the sea. This gave them the ability to trade not only with other clans but also other lands. It’s recorded that they travelled to the ports of England, France, Spain and Portugal. Theirs was no small enterprise. English State Papers record O’Malley maritime activities from the mid-1200s to the early 1600s. Some of their vessels, oared galleys, were recorded to hold 300 warriors. That is a significant size vessel of the 16th century.

The most famous of the O’Malley clan leaders, called chieftains, was a woman called Grace O’Malley. She lived from circa 1530 to 1603. It is her life I find the most interesting. Because she grew up when the old Irish customs were still in force in Ireland. But by the time she ruled and for the rest of her life, England was conquering Ireland clan by clan. Usually, it a was a process of the superior English power making deals by granting money and titles to those who would submit to them with the least effort. Often clan was pitted against clan with the backing of English power on one side. In the midst of this upheaval, Grace refused to submit her clan to this transition and warred on land and sea against the English. She is called in English State Papers as a “nurse of all rebellions”. The clan motto in Latin, a common language of the educated in the period, proclaims their importance with Terra Marique Potens. This means Powerful By Land and Sea.

The vessel:

It is stated many times that this clan used galleys or oared rowing craft. But, what type and how large? Surely a clan that was known for ‘piracy’ by the English were not using the same vessels for trade and warring. ...more next time.
 
 

Research on what type of galley:

It is a challenge determining which full size vessel to model. No archeological remains have been found which would enable a detailed reconstruction of the Irish galley in question. So, I need to determine the most logical choice of vessel given my level of research. There will be no absolute correct choice until they un-earth an O’Malley galley.

-There is no shortage of information about galleys used in the Mediterranean during the Greek and Roman empires. These are well before the late 1500s that I’m researching. It is harder to find information outside the Med. However, there were two very important naval battles that can shed some information. The 1571 Battle of Lepanto and the 1588 Armada show galleys with triangular sails. Countering this is a 1588 minted English Armadian medal depicting a single square sail on a Spanish galley. Is this just artistic license?

-The battle of Lepanto was fought in the Med. and the Armada was fought in the English channel. This shows that galleys were used outside of the Med. Importantly, galleys where still used into the early 19th century in the Baltic. This shows that given the right coastal conditions, they could still be an effective fighting force.  

-Which type of sailing rig would have been used: square sail, lug sail, or triangular/ lateen sails? It’s generally considered that fore-and-aft sails are more maneuverable in-shore than square sails. Grace O’Malley used the islands, bays, and coves, of Western Ireland to her advantage. Would she have been sailing these waters or rowing? Importantly, here crews were free clansmen and not chained galley slaves. I think she would have kept the strength of her oarsmen until the last rush towards an enemy and for fighting. So, a more maneuverable fore-and-aft sails is likely.

-For hundreds of years, the O'Malley clan traded with Spain and Portugal. This would have given them an extensive exposure to Mediterranean craft of the leading maritime powers. For clan strength, they probably incorporated any Mediterranean design that would have given them a trading or raiding advantage.

-The Clare Island Abbey where Grace O’Malley is reported to be buried has a carved stone ship image which shows a high sided, single-mast (square-sail yard?) of a 12-oar vessel. All visual evidence must be weighed with written evidence because artists may have never seen the vessel they are depicting. And, this carving may have been created well after the death of Grace.

-The best supporting evidence for the Clare Island carving is the recreation of a Scottish galley. The most surprising thing I found out about these vessels is that "Celtic Berlinn Nyvaigs (Scotish Galley) preceded Viking longboats, not the other way around". The recreation vessel built and sailed in the 1990s is called the galley Aileach which has a single mast and carries a square sail. But, later research stated this design misleading in its short length (40’) and cramped rowing stations. In its favor, it does have a high sided bow to handle the rougher northern European waters. Along with, “Both Celtic & Nordic galleys could have two or three men on each oar so even a small galley could transport 40 to 50 warriors quickly…The larger galley could hold more than 100 warriors" This suggest that one could count crew by the number of oars, then double or triple that and then add a speculative number of transported warriors.

-Some of Grace O’Malley’s struggle against the English is recorded in the written evidence of the English State Papers. For example in 1559, "There are three very good galleys with Tibbot ne Longe, sone to Grany O’Malley, his brother and O’Malley that will carry 300 men apiece…” This suggests a much larger vessel than the typical 8 to 12 oar vessels common at the time. And in July of 1601, the HMS Tramontana captured an O'Malley 30-oar galley with "a hundred good shots"...which suggests more than 100 aboard. The transporting of warriors was part of the O’Malley trading practice.

…more research to come

Research on what type of galley:

It is a challenge determining which full size vessel to model. No archeological remains have been found which would enable a detailed reconstruction of the Irish galley in question. So, I need to determine the most logical choice of vessel given my level of research. There will be no absolute correct choice until they un-earth an O’Malley galley.

-There is no shortage of information about galleys used in the Mediterranean during the Greek and Roman empires. These are well before the late 1500s that I’m researching. It is harder to find information outside the Med. However, there were two very important naval battles that can shed some information. The 1571 Battle of Lepanto and the 1588 Armada show galleys with triangular sails. Countering this is a 1588 minted English Armadian medal depicting a single square sail on a Spanish galley. Is this just artistic license?

-The battle of Lepanto was fought in the Med. and the Armada was fought in the English channel. This shows that galleys were used outside of the Med. Importantly, galleys where still used into the early 19th century in the Baltic. This shows that given the right coastal conditions, they could still be an effective fighting force.  

-Which type of sailing rig would have been used: square sail, lug sail, or triangular/ lateen sails? It’s generally considered that fore-and-aft sails are more maneuverable in-shore than square sails. Grace O’Malley used the islands, bays, and coves, of Western Ireland to her advantage. Would she have been sailing these waters or rowing? Importantly, here crews were free clansmen and not chained galley slaves. I think she would have kept the strength of her oarsmen until the last rush towards an enemy and for fighting. So, a more maneuverable fore-and-aft sails is likely.

-For hundreds of years, the O'Malley clan traded with Spain and Portugal. This would have given them an extensive exposure to Mediterranean craft of the leading maritime powers. For clan strength, they probably incorporated any Mediterranean design that would have given them a trading or raiding advantage.

-The Clare Island Abbey where Grace O’Malley is reported to be buried has a carved stone ship image which shows a high sided, single-mast (square-sail yard?) of a 12-oar vessel. All visual evidence must be weighed with written evidence because artists may have never seen the vessel they are depicting. And, this carving may have been created well after the death of Grace.

-The best supporting evidence for the Clare Island carving is the recreation of a Scottish galley. The most surprising thing I found out about these vessels is that "Celtic Berlinn Nyvaigs (Scotish Galley) preceded Viking longboats, not the other way around". The recreation vessel built and sailed in the 1990s is called the galley Aileach which has a single mast and carries a square sail. But, later research stated this design misleading in its short length (40’) and cramped rowing stations. In its favor, it does have a high sided bow to handle the rougher northern European waters. Along with, “Both Celtic & Nordic galleys could have two or three men on each oar so even a small galley could transport 40 to 50 warriors quickly…The larger galley could hold more than 100 warriors" This suggest that one could count crew by the number of oars, then double or triple that and then add a speculative number of transported warriors.

-Some of Grace O’Malley’s struggle against the English is recorded in the written evidence of the English State Papers. For example in 1559, "There are three very good galleys with Tibbot ne Longe, sone to Grany O’Malley, his brother and O’Malley that will carry 300 men apiece…” This suggests a much larger vessel than the typical 8 to 12 oar vessels common at the time. And in July of 1601, the HMS Tramontana captured an O'Malley 30-oar galley with "a hundred good shots"...which suggests more than 100 aboard. The transporting of warriors was part of the O’Malley trading practice.

…more research to come

Research on what type of galley:

It is a challenge determining which full size vessel to model. No archeological remains have been found which would enable a detailed reconstruction of the Irish galley in question. So, I need to determine the most logical choice of vessel given my level of research. There will be no absolute correct choice until they un-earth an O’Malley galley.

-There is no shortage of information about galleys used in the Mediterranean during the Greek and Roman empires. These are well before the late 1500s that I’m researching. It is harder to find information outside the Med. However, there were two very important naval battles that can shed some information. The 1571 Battle of Lepanto and the 1588 Armada show galleys with triangular sails. Countering this is a 1588 minted English Armadian medal depicting a single square sail on a Spanish galley. Is this just artistic license?

-The battle of Lepanto was fought in the Med. and the Armada was fought in the English channel. This shows that galleys were used outside of the Med. Importantly, galleys where still used into the early 19th century in the Baltic. This shows that given the right coastal conditions, they could still be an effective fighting force.  

-Which type of sailing rig would have been used: square sail, lug sail, or triangular/ lateen sails? It’s generally considered that fore-and-aft sails are more maneuverable in-shore than square sails. Grace O’Malley used the islands, bays, and coves, of Western Ireland to her advantage. Would she have been sailing these waters or rowing? Importantly, here crews were free clansmen and not chained galley slaves. I think she would have kept the strength of her oarsmen until the last rush towards an enemy and for fighting. So, a more maneuverable fore-and-aft sails is likely.

-For hundreds of years, the O'Malley clan traded with Spain and Portugal. This would have given them an extensive exposure to Mediterranean craft of the leading maritime powers. For clan strength, they probably incorporated any Mediterranean design that would have given them a trading or raiding advantage.

-The Clare Island Abbey where Grace O’Malley is reported to be buried has a carved stone ship image which shows a high sided, single-mast (square-sail yard?) of a 12-oar vessel. All visual evidence must be weighed with written evidence because artists may have never seen the vessel they are depicting. And, this carving may have been created well after the death of Grace.

-The best supporting evidence for the Clare Island carving is the recreation of a Scottish galley. The most surprising thing I found out about these vessels is that "Celtic Berlinn Nyvaigs (Scotish Galley) preceded Viking longboats, not the other way around". The recreation vessel built and sailed in the 1990s is called the galley Aileach which has a single mast and carries a square sail. But, later research stated this design misleading in its short length (40’) and cramped rowing stations. In its favor, it does have a high sided bow to handle the rougher northern European waters. Along with, “Both Celtic & Nordic galleys could have two or three men on each oar so even a small galley could transport 40 to 50 warriors quickly…The larger galley could hold more than 100 warriors" This suggest that one could count crew by the number of oars, then double or triple that and then add a speculative number of transported warriors.

-Some of Grace O’Malley’s struggle against the English is recorded in the written evidence of the English State Papers. For example in 1559, "There are three very good galleys with Tibbot ne Longe, sone to Grany O’Malley, his brother and O’Malley that will carry 300 men apiece…” This suggests a much larger vessel than the typical 8 to 12 oar vessels common at the time. And in July of 1601, the HMS Tramontana captured an O'Malley 30-oar galley with "a hundred good shots"...which suggests more than 100 aboard. The transporting of warriors was part of the O’Malley trading practice.

…more research to come

I usually scratch-build RC ship models of the 19thc.  Recently, my interests changed to earlier time periods where I have little source material.  So, I'm posting here for your help.  I've read/viewed some great build logs here of earlier ship types.  I hope my efforts may add to that interest.
 
I'll begin to post my research that I need to do to determine what the model will look like.  As far as I know, no plans exist of a of Irish Galley c.1580.
 
Historical background:

It’s hard to research Irish Maritime history for several reasons. At first glance, you’d think it wouldn’t be. It is an island. Of course, they’d be interested in the water and boats. But, that has not been the case. They are a culture that has been suppressed for over half a millennium. Since English King Henry VIII in the 1500s, Ireland has been under siege and then conquered by a policy called Surrender and Regrant. Later, there was the Plantation Policy by Queens Mary and Elizabeth I. Their language, customs, laws, and certainly history have altered to demoralize them through the filter of a conquered nation. Any state promotion of an anti-English history (which this model represents) was suppressed. And this in turn, lead to a perpetual rebellion against a corrupt authority.

One of those rebelling clans was the O’Malley clan in western Ireland in the County of Mayo. In the 1500s and as it had been for many centuries, Western Ireland was the far west of western Europe. So far west, that it was not even conquered by the Romans or Vikings. This gave the Island a longer period of insolation to form their own customs than any other peoples of Europe. Ireland never had the unifying force of the Roman government and army. Various clans ruled and warred amongst themselves for limited control of limited parts of the Ireland. The O’Malley clan was one of those Western clans. They ruled over the baronies of Murrisk and Burishoole. They were somewhat unique in that their power came from a combination of warriors to control land and seafarers to trade and war on the sea. This gave them the ability to trade not only with other clans but also other lands. It’s recorded that they travelled to the ports of England, France, Spain and Portugal. Theirs was no small enterprise. English State Papers record O’Malley maritime activities from the mid-1200s to the early 1600s. Some of their vessels, oared galleys, were recorded to hold 300 warriors. That is a significant size vessel of the 16th century.

The most famous of the O’Malley clan leaders, called chieftains, was a woman called Grace O’Malley. She lived from circa 1530 to 1603. It is her life I find the most interesting. Because she grew up when the old Irish customs were still in force in Ireland. But by the time she ruled and for the rest of her life, England was conquering Ireland clan by clan. Usually, it a was a process of the superior English power making deals by granting money and titles to those who would submit to them with the least effort. Often clan was pitted against clan with the backing of English power on one side. In the midst of this upheaval, Grace refused to submit her clan to this transition and warred on land and sea against the English. She is called in English State Papers as a “nurse of all rebellions”. The clan motto in Latin, a common language of the educated in the period, proclaims their importance with Terra Marique Potens. This means Powerful By Land and Sea.

The vessel:

It is stated many times that this clan used galleys or oared rowing craft. But, what type and how large? Surely a clan that was known for ‘piracy’ by the English were not using the same vessels for trade and warring. ...more next time.
 
 

I usually scratch-build RC ship models of the 19thc.  Recently, my interests changed to earlier time periods where I have little source material.  So, I'm posting here for your help.  I've read/viewed some great build logs here of earlier ship types.  I hope my efforts may add to that interest.
 
I'll begin to post my research that I need to do to determine what the model will look like.  As far as I know, no plans exist of a of Irish Galley c.1580.
 
Historical background:

It’s hard to research Irish Maritime history for several reasons. At first glance, you’d think it wouldn’t be. It is an island. Of course, they’d be interested in the water and boats. But, that has not been the case. They are a culture that has been suppressed for over half a millennium. Since English King Henry VIII in the 1500s, Ireland has been under siege and then conquered by a policy called Surrender and Regrant. Later, there was the Plantation Policy by Queens Mary and Elizabeth I. Their language, customs, laws, and certainly history have altered to demoralize them through the filter of a conquered nation. Any state promotion of an anti-English history (which this model represents) was suppressed. And this in turn, lead to a perpetual rebellion against a corrupt authority.

One of those rebelling clans was the O’Malley clan in western Ireland in the County of Mayo. In the 1500s and as it had been for many centuries, Western Ireland was the far west of western Europe. So far west, that it was not even conquered by the Romans or Vikings. This gave the Island a longer period of insolation to form their own customs than any other peoples of Europe. Ireland never had the unifying force of the Roman government and army. Various clans ruled and warred amongst themselves for limited control of limited parts of the Ireland. The O’Malley clan was one of those Western clans. They ruled over the baronies of Murrisk and Burishoole. They were somewhat unique in that their power came from a combination of warriors to control land and seafarers to trade and war on the sea. This gave them the ability to trade not only with other clans but also other lands. It’s recorded that they travelled to the ports of England, France, Spain and Portugal. Theirs was no small enterprise. English State Papers record O’Malley maritime activities from the mid-1200s to the early 1600s. Some of their vessels, oared galleys, were recorded to hold 300 warriors. That is a significant size vessel of the 16th century.

The most famous of the O’Malley clan leaders, called chieftains, was a woman called Grace O’Malley. She lived from circa 1530 to 1603. It is her life I find the most interesting. Because she grew up when the old Irish customs were still in force in Ireland. But by the time she ruled and for the rest of her life, England was conquering Ireland clan by clan. Usually, it a was a process of the superior English power making deals by granting money and titles to those who would submit to them with the least effort. Often clan was pitted against clan with the backing of English power on one side. In the midst of this upheaval, Grace refused to submit her clan to this transition and warred on land and sea against the English. She is called in English State Papers as a “nurse of all rebellions”. The clan motto in Latin, a common language of the educated in the period, proclaims their importance with Terra Marique Potens. This means Powerful By Land and Sea.

The vessel:

It is stated many times that this clan used galleys or oared rowing craft. But, what type and how large? Surely a clan that was known for ‘piracy’ by the English were not using the same vessels for trade and warring. ...more next time.
 
 

I usually scratch-build RC ship models of the 19thc.  Recently, my interests changed to earlier time periods where I have little source material.  So, I'm posting here for your help.  I've read/viewed some great build logs here of earlier ship types.  I hope my efforts may add to that interest.
 
I'll begin to post my research that I need to do to determine what the model will look like.  As far as I know, no plans exist of a of Irish Galley c.1580.
 
Historical background:

It’s hard to research Irish Maritime history for several reasons. At first glance, you’d think it wouldn’t be. It is an island. Of course, they’d be interested in the water and boats. But, that has not been the case. They are a culture that has been suppressed for over half a millennium. Since English King Henry VIII in the 1500s, Ireland has been under siege and then conquered by a policy called Surrender and Regrant. Later, there was the Plantation Policy by Queens Mary and Elizabeth I. Their language, customs, laws, and certainly history have altered to demoralize them through the filter of a conquered nation. Any state promotion of an anti-English history (which this model represents) was suppressed. And this in turn, lead to a perpetual rebellion against a corrupt authority.

One of those rebelling clans was the O’Malley clan in western Ireland in the County of Mayo. In the 1500s and as it had been for many centuries, Western Ireland was the far west of western Europe. So far west, that it was not even conquered by the Romans or Vikings. This gave the Island a longer period of insolation to form their own customs than any other peoples of Europe. Ireland never had the unifying force of the Roman government and army. Various clans ruled and warred amongst themselves for limited control of limited parts of the Ireland. The O’Malley clan was one of those Western clans. They ruled over the baronies of Murrisk and Burishoole. They were somewhat unique in that their power came from a combination of warriors to control land and seafarers to trade and war on the sea. This gave them the ability to trade not only with other clans but also other lands. It’s recorded that they travelled to the ports of England, France, Spain and Portugal. Theirs was no small enterprise. English State Papers record O’Malley maritime activities from the mid-1200s to the early 1600s. Some of their vessels, oared galleys, were recorded to hold 300 warriors. That is a significant size vessel of the 16th century.

The most famous of the O’Malley clan leaders, called chieftains, was a woman called Grace O’Malley. She lived from circa 1530 to 1603. It is her life I find the most interesting. Because she grew up when the old Irish customs were still in force in Ireland. But by the time she ruled and for the rest of her life, England was conquering Ireland clan by clan. Usually, it a was a process of the superior English power making deals by granting money and titles to those who would submit to them with the least effort. Often clan was pitted against clan with the backing of English power on one side. In the midst of this upheaval, Grace refused to submit her clan to this transition and warred on land and sea against the English. She is called in English State Papers as a “nurse of all rebellions”. The clan motto in Latin, a common language of the educated in the period, proclaims their importance with Terra Marique Potens. This means Powerful By Land and Sea.

The vessel:

It is stated many times that this clan used galleys or oared rowing craft. But, what type and how large? Surely a clan that was known for ‘piracy’ by the English were not using the same vessels for trade and warring. ...more next time.
 
 

I usually scratch-build RC ship models of the 19thc.  Recently, my interests changed to earlier time periods where I have little source material.  So, I'm posting here for your help.  I've read/viewed some great build logs here of earlier ship types.  I hope my efforts may add to that interest.
 
I'll begin to post my research that I need to do to determine what the model will look like.  As far as I know, no plans exist of a of Irish Galley c.1580.
 
Historical background:

It’s hard to research Irish Maritime history for several reasons. At first glance, you’d think it wouldn’t be. It is an island. Of course, they’d be interested in the water and boats. But, that has not been the case. They are a culture that has been suppressed for over half a millennium. Since English King Henry VIII in the 1500s, Ireland has been under siege and then conquered by a policy called Surrender and Regrant. Later, there was the Plantation Policy by Queens Mary and Elizabeth I. Their language, customs, laws, and certainly history have altered to demoralize them through the filter of a conquered nation. Any state promotion of an anti-English history (which this model represents) was suppressed. And this in turn, lead to a perpetual rebellion against a corrupt authority.

One of those rebelling clans was the O’Malley clan in western Ireland in the County of Mayo. In the 1500s and as it had been for many centuries, Western Ireland was the far west of western Europe. So far west, that it was not even conquered by the Romans or Vikings. This gave the Island a longer period of insolation to form their own customs than any other peoples of Europe. Ireland never had the unifying force of the Roman government and army. Various clans ruled and warred amongst themselves for limited control of limited parts of the Ireland. The O’Malley clan was one of those Western clans. They ruled over the baronies of Murrisk and Burishoole. They were somewhat unique in that their power came from a combination of warriors to control land and seafarers to trade and war on the sea. This gave them the ability to trade not only with other clans but also other lands. It’s recorded that they travelled to the ports of England, France, Spain and Portugal. Theirs was no small enterprise. English State Papers record O’Malley maritime activities from the mid-1200s to the early 1600s. Some of their vessels, oared galleys, were recorded to hold 300 warriors. That is a significant size vessel of the 16th century.

The most famous of the O’Malley clan leaders, called chieftains, was a woman called Grace O’Malley. She lived from circa 1530 to 1603. It is her life I find the most interesting. Because she grew up when the old Irish customs were still in force in Ireland. But by the time she ruled and for the rest of her life, England was conquering Ireland clan by clan. Usually, it a was a process of the superior English power making deals by granting money and titles to those who would submit to them with the least effort. Often clan was pitted against clan with the backing of English power on one side. In the midst of this upheaval, Grace refused to submit her clan to this transition and warred on land and sea against the English. She is called in English State Papers as a “nurse of all rebellions”. The clan motto in Latin, a common language of the educated in the period, proclaims their importance with Terra Marique Potens. This means Powerful By Land and Sea.

The vessel:

It is stated many times that this clan used galleys or oared rowing craft. But, what type and how large? Surely a clan that was known for ‘piracy’ by the English were not using the same vessels for trade and warring. ...more next time.
 
 

Steven,
 
The following is from an excellent book Galleys and Gunpowder by John Guilmartin, an expert on 16th Century galley warefare.  Although discussing vessels built 500 years later than your Dromon,  I think that his comments still may be helpful.
 
1. Page 87:  “Finally, the beak of the galley, the “spur” provided a useful boarding bridge for the attackers.  On galleys of most nations it angled upward slightly and had a reinforced,iron-shod tip.  If the spur could be lodged forcefully among the rowing banks of an enemy galley it would ride up over the apostis and give the boarding party an all-important height advantage in launching their assault.”
 
”Many misconceptions have arisen concerning the uses of the spur.  It is generally viewed as a ram, yet its position above the water line makes it abundantly clear that it was not a ram in the classical sense.  The classical parallel for the spur of modern and medieval galleys is the Roman Boarding Bridge not the Greek ram.”
 
2.  Page 222  One final structural detail of Ottoman galleys (at Lepanto) deserves comment.  Although the bows of Ottoman galleys were lower than Christian galleys   the beak or “spur” of Ottoman galleys was particularly stout.  Iron-shod to assist it penetrating light upper planking, it was angled upward to allow it to ride over and break down the apostis of an enemy galley.”
 
I hope that this is helpful.
 
Roger

Here is what I had in my archives. Materials and artifacts were gathered at Home Depot, Ebay, Craigslist and local curbside during garbage collection days.
Picture inside porthole was printed on light through film in a printing shop. Lamp and roll top desk required some work but I got them cheap. Design idea taken from Cutty Sark interior. There still some work left on the ceiling and opposite wall were I have a small countertop with a sink and shelves.

Yanc, you are the man!  Well done!  Another scratch-built wonder!  I really enjoy the cannon smoke rolling out of the barrel.  

Yanc, you are the man!  Well done!  Another scratch-built wonder!  I really enjoy the cannon smoke rolling out of the barrel.  

Part 75 –Turnbuckles cont’d
 
Kathryn’s shrouds are steel cable, and are held in place by large turnbuckles rather than deadeyes, as in the following photo.
 
                        
 
The connectivity consists of large loops at each end of the turnbuckle, connected by shackles to the chainplate at the bottom and to the cable at top.  These large loops are made of flat stock which turns into a round rod so that it can be threaded to the turnbuckle.
 
My first thought was that this configuration would be too complicated to model, so I made some clevises on posts for connectivity to the turnbuckles.
 
                        
 
The small collar on the post is to provide a more secure fit to the turnbuckle.  The turnbuckle bodies were made from 3/32” square stock which had a 1/16” round inside diameter.  Since the posts needed to be smaller (1/32” rod) I drilled a 1/32” hole through a 1/16” rod and parted off sufficient collars for the 8 rods needed for the turnbuckles.
 
I wasn’t happy with the approach of using a clevis instead of the actual arrangement, so I decided to try to duplicate the rig as it exists in real life.
 
For the large loops, I used 1/32” x 1/64” brass strips. They were annealed and bent around a piece of 1/16” rod that would provide a consistently sized opening.  I was careful not to close the bend into too tight of a shape.
 
                        
 
The workpiece was then clamped for soldering.
 
                        
 
                        
 
The shaft of the loop was then made into a 1/32” round shape by grinding and filing, so that the collar mentioned above would fit over the shaft.
 
The shackles were made from 26 gauge copper wire.  A jig was used to ensure that the bend of each shackle was as identical as possible.
 
                        
 
The copper wire was laid across the jig in the small groove that was cut perpendicular to the round cavity, and a 1/16” steel punch was used to push the wire down into the jig for the circular body of the shackle.
 
                        
 
                        
 
The ends of the shackle were cut to length, and then flattened by squeezing each end in the hinge of a flat pliers.  Holes were drilled into the shackles for .019” pins, and the ends of the shackles were rounded by filing.
 
                        
 
The turnbuckle and shackles were primed and then painted the bare metal color.
 
                        
 
In all, Kathryn has 11 turnbuckles in her rigging, shown in the following photo.
 
                        
 
I have ordered some bare stainless steel fishing line in the appropriate sizes for Kathryn’s cables.  In the meantime, I plan to install some of the chains.  The chains and turnbuckles for the Jack Stays will be installed first.  That will be the subject of the next post.
 
Thanks everyone!
 
 

Great project!
 
I've raced with the skipjacks at Deal Island.  I'm tied between two of them in the photo.  Fun times!

This paint thread reminded me of old discussions about the evolution of how colonial Williamsburg changed it's mind about "historically accurate" paint colors.  Basically, they'd been focusing their color palate on faded paint chips.  More scientific computer analysis brought in brighter colors and context to indoor and outdoor paints.  More info here:  http://makinghistorynow.com/2014/08/a-house-of-a-different-color/
 
Side bar:  There is always the problem of some historic districts with large personalities in charge demanding strict adherence to certain colors.  Until shown, those are inaccurate colors.  Science is dead certain about something...until other science dis-proves it. 

Excellent discussion.  I'd say this information is "copper bottomed"   (I've known of the expression.  But, I don't think I've every heard anyone use it...to my regret.)

Dear Shipman, what you have written is a valuable reminder to us all: primary sources are always better and more reliable than secondary ones!

Saw this last weekend at the Mariners Museum and thought the readers of this thread would like.

Saw this last weekend at the Mariners Museum and thought the readers of this thread would like.