woodrat

Thank you Jan, Carl,Kees, George and Steven. Hovering cats are amazing, yes but not as romantic as the creaking old argosies of the middle ages. Romance aside, however, life would have been smelly, wet and uncomfortable for all on board! In regard to the wooden framing, in the venetian and other italian shipyards, the upper works and accommodation were built by house carpenters brought in by the shipyards. Hence the methods used would have been less nautical and more domestic. At sea, the wooden framing would have coverings of tarpaulin and other suchlike removable shelter. Particularly on the sterncastle this would have been necessary to reduce windage on the very tall structures. Dick

Thanks, Geoge. Here are some contemporary illustrations of carracks which show what I based my quarterdeck accommodation on. Note the space in front of the mizzen mast to allow for rigging to be handled. Dick

Excellent, Steven. I look forward to following this. I am very jealous that you had access to such eminent specialists in the field. Dick

Showing the building of the halfdeck accommodation. Note that I have left space at the side for the mainmast standing rigging which will be internal to the bulwarks. Cheers, Dick

I think you should, Steven, if only for the sake of your sanity. The research and planning of the dromon would be of interest to many at MSW. Dick

Thanks Steven. When are you going to start your dromon? Dick

I have added the external support frames or futtock riders. These were used to add rigidity to these relatively lightly built hulls and were a characteristic feature of these vessels. They were, however, very variable in their application, size, position and number. This vessel has these supports along its full length. Looks like a carrack now, I think. Dick

The forecastle complete

How could I mind, George. welcome aboard. Steven, lovely pictures of the Matthew, a beautiful reconstruction (not a replica!) but what in heaven's name is that eighteenth century topsail doing above the mainyard! :Oh well, needs must! Not much tumblehome either. Interesting. Note the chafing gear on the mainstay which is secured to the stem-knee through the forecastle deck. The cavalaire-sur-mer wreck Note the resemblance of this masterframe to my Trombetta masterframe (details below) Dick

Thank you Tadeusz. I saw her when I visited Lubeck some years ago. Your pictures show well the U-shaped cross section. Dick

Thanks Nenad M and Steven. Steven, I have given a lot of thought to this and I am sure that there was a large range of hull forms in use throughout the Mediterranean, not to mention northern Europe during the fifteenth century. I am sure the regional differences were large. As you say, iconographic information is of limited reliability with some exceptions, such as Carpaccio, and we need archaeological hard evidence. However, that said, I should point out that my reconstruction is of a particular ship and should not be regarded as a generic carrack. The Trombetta illustration, to my eye, indicated a finer entry into the water than many other illustrations show: One of the reasons for this may be the shape of the master frame which I developed based on almost contemporary evidence: This is in complete contrast to the U-shaped frames favoured by some of the northern european reconstructors of carracks e.g. this "replica" of the Nao Victoria which looks remarkably tubby: and this carrack from Lubeck: Using the technique of ribbands based on master frame and tail frames which I used to simulate the method of the mediterranean shipwrights of the time: I came up inevitably with somewhat finer lines. I do not claim my reconstruction is anything more than an amateurs essay at a somewhat hazy subject and I insist that all errors are mine and I treasure them. I agree that some iconography suggests that at least some venetian navi were finer in their lines and I attach a few examples: Note the variation in the hull shapes Another carrack from the Trombetta manuscript Whether experts agree or not, in the end I like the shape of my hull and probably that is all that counts as it has to sit on my mantelpiece Dick

Thanks JesseLee and Cog. These pics show the forecastle nearing completion. Dick

Thank you Cap'n BoB, John and steven. These pics show the clinker planking of the "great arch". These are the planks that the sailors would run along to gain access to the forecastle deck and the foremast. There seems to be not much protection to the sailors. Perhaps a 'lifeline' was rigged in rough weather to prevent losses overside! Dick

Thanks JesseLee and Steven. I have now completed the clinker planking under the forecastle and a beast of a job it was. I am moderately happy with the result. I used as a guide the excellent miniature from the Benincasa map (1482) which represents a very close approximation to the Trombetta nave:

Thank you Felelo, most kind. But there are still a few things I wish I could go back and redo. Second-guessing long dead shipwrights is an interesting process. The rigging promises to be a real challenge, Dick

Yes, Steven, the narrowness worried me. Anything wider in this very large ship may have been unwieldy or even unstable, hence the tumblehome. The drawing seems to show a tumblehome here. Dick The forestay ropes are seen well in the Tavola Strozzi, are presumably lashed together in their mid portion and separated at either end

The castle planked showing foremast and bowsprit partners. The gaps in the planking allow passage of the mainstay ropes which pass around the knee of the stem

Further strengthening of the great arch and castle was required with vertical and horizontal knees and cross-bracing. I think it is strong enough now. Dick

Forecastle framing complete. Now to do the clinker planking below the castle. I will need further framing to support the "Great Arch" Dick

Thank you Vivian, Nenad and Steven and Happy New Year. Here are more progress pics of the forecastle. The forecastle may seem narrow but I have followed the original drawing faithfully. This allows a lot of tumblehome for the clinker planking below the forecastle, improves water shedding and looks better. I am sure there was a lot of variation among shipwrights as to forecastle design. Dick

Due to some shed time over the xmas break, I have been able to make a good start on the forecastle. This is the forecastle base.

The completion of the windlass. Ricardo

Thanks, Christiano. I had heard of this project but have not yet ordered the book as it is quite expensive. Maybe I will get an electronic copy. The wreck is possibly a century later than the Trombetta nave but many details would have remained similar. Dick

Carrick bitts are installed to hold the anchor windlass. Dick

This is my interpretation of the fifteenth century Botticelli windlass after due pondering. The windlass would be used to tilt the ship by hauling on the mainmast so as to allow cleaning of the hull and replacement of sacrificial planking. The windlass would have to be able to be moved from place to place and to be held with pegs to the ground. The pawl mechanism would have to be VERY reliable and the cables in good repair. Sudden loss of the tension on the mainmast would be catastrophic! Dick