woodrat
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Thanks Druxey. Those carracks depicted without ratlines showed a wide spread of shrouds fore and aft. In addition the use of tackles and pendants would allow easy adjustment of shroud tension at the price of less strength. Dick -
Thanks Jesse and Moonbug. The Mataro nao has been a major resource for this build. Anyone building a late mediaeval carrack such as Santa Maria should have a close look at it. Xavier Pastors Anatomy of the Ship volume on the Ships of Columbus uses the Mataro nao for its reconstruction. Dick
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I do apologize for my tardiness in updating this log. I have been in the process of restructuring my professional committments and, consequently, have neglected the more enjoyable of my pursuits. I have, however, finally worked out the likely method that was used to laterally stabilize the mainmast. The shrouds are passed inboard, not as in later vessels outboard to chainplates. The pendants from the mainmasts ( more later) are secured by tackles. This is more in keeping with the iconography of the period in mediterranean vessels. It may well have been different in the northern european vessels as illustrated by the drawings by the flemish master WA, which show chainplates. Certainly it would have been vastly simpler for me to secure the pendants outboard but, in shipmodelling, it is sometimes better to aim for accuracy rather than facility. Nonetheless, I offer this as a solution which is consistent with the scanty evidence. Dick
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Thanks, Cristiano. One of the images in the book led me to this ship from Fra Mauro's Mappamundi of about 1459. It shows a venetian merchantman similar to the Trombetta navi. Note the single mast. I wonder if my nave only had one mast Steven note the lack of sheer Merry Xmas Dick
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Cristiano I have now obtained the book by Cesare Augusto Levi. It has quite a number of images of venetian shipping of various centuries. Many are redrawn for the book and there are several images of navi that I have not seen before with interesting rigging details. Thanks for the recommendation. Buon natale Dick
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Thanks, chaps. I lean to Carl's interpretation which would allow quick belaying of a line. The stand I use, Steven, is a monitor stand I found in a pawn shop. Indeed, it allows positioning of the ship to facilitate access. Very useful. How is sheer expressed, as a percentage or a ratio? Dick
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This figure abaft the mainmast is puzzling. It was thought by some to be a person but it is now thought to be a knighthead for the halyard. What is the dot in the middle of the knight? Dick
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Thanks Steve and Bob. I like challenging feedback. It's almost like I need to do a third model to get rid of the errors in the second :'{( But that's getting a little OCD!
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I think maybe I could have put a bit more sheer on the poop but I think I got the forecastle pretty right. A lot of contemporary illustrations show ridiculous amounts of sheer so I tried to be guided by the Trombetta pics. Cheers. Dick
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It is thought that access was via the lapstrake planking of the great arch behind the forecastle. Some reconstructions show a ladder into the forecastle but I elected not to put one in because of space restrictions. I could be wrong. I am sure that there would have been a lot of variation. Mariners of those time did not have unions or occupational health and safety officers. They took a lot of risks we would find terrifying e.g. reefing a sail without footropes. Dick
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This to show the mainstay completed with canvas wrap to prevent chafing on the mainsail the single blocks for the shrouds Dick
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Possibly. It is also the reason why the forecastle in my model is narrower than many other models. This produces a sort of tumble-home ( also see the Mataro model which shows this tumble-home)and makes the structure less topheavy. Note the considerable bracing the the structure which I feel is necessary for strength. This is entirely guesswork as the illustrations give no hint as to framing of superstructure Dick
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Many didn't.. I am sure that when possible they ran for a port to avoid such seas. Much of the castles could be cut away in an emergency and you will notice that the slats on both castles are removable so as to reduce windage in heavy seas Cheers Dick
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thanks Cristiano. I well have a look at the book and get back to you. Dick
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On a separate note, I have been going through my books trying to find any evidence to support the presence of a spritsail in mediaeval vessels. I have found none yet although most modern reconstructions of carracks show one. The bowsprit seems to be obliquely sited adjacent to the foremast (if there is one) and functions to attach the forestay, bowlines and the grapnel anchor. At this stage I would question putting a spritsail on a mediaeval vessel. Dick
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Yes, Steven. Its just a bit of dowel I have used to indicate where the foremast will be when I make it. Perhaps you could post the links to Pinterest. Thanks Robin. The fore and mizzen masts would have been pole masts, not "made" like the main mast Dick
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Apologies for the delay in posting. I have been overseas. after a lot of thought the mainstay (stazo) has been done in accordance with the appearances in the Zorzi manuscript which seems to show a large upper block with a number of ropes issuing presumably to a lower double block . This is much different to later practice. The collar of the mainstay passes either side of the foremast and around the knee of the stem. Also seen is the gammoning of the bowsprit which also goes around the knee of the stem. Dick
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The most likely source of information on the rabbetting for the garboard strakes would be be the Yenikapi wrecks, I feel. Dick
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OK Carl. I have someone in mind. Dick
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Thanks for all the encouragement, chaps. I have written a draft for the introduction. Dick
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Will do, Druxey. That is the crux of the whole project i.e. to educate myself and others on the way shipwrights may have constructed a stout vessel without the use of plans and how the mariners may have rigged and sailed them. I would be standing on the shoulders of many giants such as historians of Venice, nautical archaeologists and other model builders. Beside this, the actual making of the model is light relief. My meagre nautical library has greatly inflated since starting this project as books are my main research source, being a hemisphere away from the primary sources in Europe. I am also hampered by my lack of italian language. By the same token, I don't wish to clog the article too much abtruse material so as to maintain "a conversational tone" as the editor puts it. Dick
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I agree, Carl. Paul Fontenoy, the NRJ editor was enthusiastic about writing up an unusual subject like this and I will submit an article. I think it should be best published in 3 parts as a series: The hull reconstruction The superstructure Masting and rigging But of course, this is the prerogative of the editor Cheers Dick
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Thanks Mark and Druxey. This is something I have considered. I have sent an email to Paul Fontenoy, the editor NRJ, to enquire whether this is suitable. Certainly, I claim no credentials as a nautical archaeologist or historian but the topic is of interest to many ship modellers because of the popularity of vessels such as the Santa Maria. Indeed, to do the subject full justice would be equivalent to a Ph.D thesis and I certainly don't have time for that! Dick
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Most kind, Steven. The next step is the mainstay which appears to have a strange looking pulley at the mainmast and presumably at the foot of the foremast with a collar going around the knee of the stem. This is why I left some of the planking off the forecastle deck. The shrouds have been made and go on after the mainstay. Dick
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Blocks on mediaeval ships were somewhat different to those we are used to on later vessels. For example this is my concept of a double block with the pulleys set in-line instead of side-by-side I have installed the backstays first while holding the mast with temporary forestays much as seen in the Trombetta illustration. This sketch I believe was made while the mast was being set up. this shows the use of hearts for the backstays Cheers Dick
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