- Joined
- Oct 31, 2023
- Messages
- 22
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- 48
In my discovery of ships in the age of sail, I am working on doing illustrations of a pirate ship. In working on the illustration I use reference photos to help me draw stuff accurately, and I gain collateral knowledge in the process. Some here may already know this, but for myself knowing nothing about this topic, I am writing this as derived from my studies. It may or may not be correct, but this is my understanding.
As far as my studies goes with rigging. The channel on the side of the hull is part of a system to distribute side forces on the mast. Not only are they useful for crew to climb up to the crows nest, but each rope could be tentioned for each section of mast. Thats brilliant.
Here is something you have never heard of though. Many ships have a main mast, a fore mast, and a mizzen mast. A lot of people probably wonder why the ships have three masts and why some are tall and some are short. The engineers who devised these ship knew something about the nature of wind way before the Wright Brothers. If you look top down on a ship with three sails, you can see the purpose of the three just like an airplane wing. An airplane wing has flaps, and slats. These two surfaces serve a function for an airplane to land and to have fine control over the aircraft in non-performance mode. Just like an airplane wing, the front mast, and mizzen mast serve just like a slat, or flap on an airplane wing.
There is something else. The bowsprit is a sail for lateral maneuverability. Their weren't tug boats or propellers to make slow maneuvers, so this front sail was used to steer the front for extra maneuverability both at sea and in port.
The rudder was of some use, but short because there was no technology available to gain enough leverage to be useful in making the rudder longer. They did not have hydraulics and the only mechanical advantage they had use of was the Capstan. (I may post pics to support these ideas)
As far as my studies goes with rigging. The channel on the side of the hull is part of a system to distribute side forces on the mast. Not only are they useful for crew to climb up to the crows nest, but each rope could be tentioned for each section of mast. Thats brilliant.
Here is something you have never heard of though. Many ships have a main mast, a fore mast, and a mizzen mast. A lot of people probably wonder why the ships have three masts and why some are tall and some are short. The engineers who devised these ship knew something about the nature of wind way before the Wright Brothers. If you look top down on a ship with three sails, you can see the purpose of the three just like an airplane wing. An airplane wing has flaps, and slats. These two surfaces serve a function for an airplane to land and to have fine control over the aircraft in non-performance mode. Just like an airplane wing, the front mast, and mizzen mast serve just like a slat, or flap on an airplane wing.
There is something else. The bowsprit is a sail for lateral maneuverability. Their weren't tug boats or propellers to make slow maneuvers, so this front sail was used to steer the front for extra maneuverability both at sea and in port.
The rudder was of some use, but short because there was no technology available to gain enough leverage to be useful in making the rudder longer. They did not have hydraulics and the only mechanical advantage they had use of was the Capstan. (I may post pics to support these ideas)
