The Gale 1752

[BobCo]

Looking for a representative model of the Gale, a passenger ship that sailed from Rotterdam to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1752.

J. Franklin Wright's rendering shows her in Halifax Hbr. (attached) but I'm unsure as to how accurate it is.

She brought Foreign Protestants from Europe to Nova Scotia.

 

According to TheShipsList, "the Gale was a three-masted ship with a square stern and a gilded figurehead of a gale. The ship was about 120 feet long and 30 feet wide. It had a crew of 30 and could carry up to 300 passengers. The ship was painted white with red and blue stripes along the hull. She had 18 guns for defense."

 

It would be great if there's a model available of the Gale or a reasonable facsimile.

 

Thank you !

Bob Collins 

 

[michaelpsutton2]

That painting looks amazingly like the Endeavour  ex Earl of Pembroke 1764 of Cap'n Cook fame. Right down  to the 3 ports in her side, shroud arrangement and knee gammon head. Rig generally matches Endeavor as well. Endeavor was smaller 97 x 29 x 11.  The ship shownin your painting could only have mounted a few light caliber guns at most, certqinly not 18. I would be careful relying on that pic being accurate.

Earl of Pembroke 1764

[BobCo]

Thanks, Michael.

I have no idea how much research the artist did before he created the painting.

Will do some more digging.

 

Bob

[uss frolick]

There are a couple of similar ship-rigged, merchant-vessel plans from the 1770's (you can probably count them on one hand) in Howard Chapelle's "The Search For Speed Under Sail". They were taken into the Royal Navy as ad hoc sloops of war. If you see one you like, you can order copies from the Smithsonian Institution for next to nothing.

[Chuck Seiler]

The description specifically references a figurehead.  The ship in the print has no figurehead.

[Allen Nause]

Bob

 

I too , questioned Franklin ‘s research as to the authenticity of his painting of the Gale. Cameras were not invented until 1816 so no pictures are available. As a former intelligence officer I took it upon myself to research the Gale sailing ship before I commissioned a painting of the arrival of the Sally and the Gale in Halifax harbour on September 6, 1752.  
 

Dr Winthrop Pickard  Bell  is the leading authority on early Nova Scotian German immigrants. His research identified the Gale as a snaw  (snow snauw) rigging. It is a square rigged vessel with two masts, complemented by a snow or try sail mast stepped immediately behind the main mast. Dr Bell footnoted the Harbour masters report identifying the Gale as a snow rigged vessel. I fact checked Dr Bell footnote with the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The curator concurred the Harbour Master in his report on Sept 6 1752 made a point of identifying the Gale as a snow rigging. The curator stated there is no reason to believe otherwise. So if you want a replica of the Gale look for a snow rigging sailing ship from that period. If you would like to see the commissioned painting contact me on  Facebook. Allen Nause.