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#maritime history
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Lieutenant John Irving's grave
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Decorum est pro patria mori (it is proper to die for your country)
Visited John Irving's grave at Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh and gave him some lavender plants. I'm very fond of Irving, a good man. 💖
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lucybellwood · 9 months
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I’ve been meaning to repost this mini-essay I wrote for Global Maritime History back in 2015 for AGES and since today's dash is full of people lamenting the burden of Boat Knowledge this seems like the right time.
ONWARD FOR TALL SHIP ART TIPS!
I often get questions from people who are concerned that their illustrated boats aren’t going to be up to snuff, and the short answer is generally: don’t sweat it. If you’ve drawn a thing that has a hull in the water and sails in the air, you’re off to a great start, and if you consult a few handy reference images, you’re bound to end up with something that looks mostly ship-like.
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HOWEVER. There are a couple things that often get lost in translation which—if you pay attention to them—can make the difference between a passable tall ship and a vessel that definitely looks like you know your baggywrinkle from your bunghole. Here’s two tips to get you started.
Flags in the Wind
Generally when we think of a thing that’s going fast, we imagine a flag streaming out in the wind behind it, right? Well, when it comes to square rig sailing, things aren’t always so simple. If the wind is coming up from behind a ship—or from the side—to push it forward, the flag may be flying in a direction you wouldn’t expect! How are the yards angled to catch the wind in the sails? What’s driving the vessel forward? Sailors often look to flags for a quick indicator of wind direction—use that thought process when drawing your ships.
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Keep Your Shrouds Tight!
Those rope ladder-looking things sailors are always clambering up? They’re called shrouds, and they also form a large part of the tensioning system that keeps a ship’s masts stable and upright. Stays (lines that don’t move i.e. stay put) are arranged throughout the rig to maintain even aft-to-fore pull on the masts and prevent them from keeling over. Shrouds form the lateral component of that system, so here’s an important fact: they will not be saggy. No saggy shrouds. No saggy stays. In addition to making the mast unstable, it’d be a devil to climb in heavy weather.
Note: the ratlines (the “ladder rungs” of the shroud) can have slack in them—it’s the vertical lines that should be tight.
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When the crew is “tuning the rig,” they’re putting slack in all the stays and then re-tensioning them to ensure that the whole operation is as stable as possible, so unless you’ve got a bunch of idiots running your fictional vessel, keep ’em tight.
And another thing…
I see a lot of people running their shrouds down to the deck, rather than alongside the vessel. Don’t do that! I mean, okay, sometimes shrouds do attach to chain plates on-deck, but most of your classic Golden Age of Sail vessels will have them running alongside to the channels. Also: they end in deadeyes to help with the tensioning of the line and to keep things stable, so don’t forget your deadeyes!
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Honestly, these are the biggest things that I see artists flub when drawing tall ships, so if you can keep them in mind, you’ll be head and shoulders above the rest!
If you’re looking to go more in-depth with your research, I would recommend…
Seeing if you can find a modern replica of the type of ship you’re after and then centering your reference search around the name of that ship. I get far more extensive results when I’m searching for “Privateer Lynx” rather than “1700s topsail schooner.” Don’t discount the many photos tourists will have taken while visiting these ships!
Nose around on model ship-building forums. There is no greater boon to the modern nautical artist than these obsessive craftspeople, who will spend hundreds of hours replicating classic ships in minute detail—often photographing the whole process so you can actually see how the rig of a vessel is put together! God bless ’em.
And that’s all I’ve got! I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief foray into accurate tall ship representation. Fair winds and following seas!
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clove-pinks · 29 days
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Tile Panel: Men-of-War, Frigates, Flutes, and a Herring Buss.
c. 1640-1660, Dutch.
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excessivebookshelf · 7 months
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North Carolina Maritime Museum Library
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ratuszarsenal · 10 months
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you've heard of draft dodging. get ready for militant draft rescuing
(from Stephen Taylor's "Sons of the Waves; A History of the Common Sailor 1740-1840", which I got from @genderqueer-klinger's folder, thank you mate)
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barkingfortheocean · 4 months
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It's that time of year again!
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The tall ship Lady Washington is hiring for the 2024 sailing season, which means you could be shipmates with the world-renowned Marlin!
Job descriptions under the cut. Send a cover letter, resume, and references to [email protected] to apply.
Here are more Marlin pictures:
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These are full-time live-aboard positions. We strive to bring equity and diversity into the maritime industry by creating a positive and inclusive space for people of all backgrounds to learn traditional sailing skills. We highly value cross-training amongst our crew, as such, every crew member is encouraged to learn the skills of different positions from the one they were hired for. This includes calling the deck and/or handling the helm for sails and dockings as desired and under supervision.
The season will start on March 18th, 2024 beginning with crew arrival and deconstruction of the winter cover. Up-rig and crew training will then continue until public programming begins in May. Programming includes 2-4 hour day sails with the public, dockside tours, education sails with school groups, transits between ports, and private charters. Volunteer trainees are also welcomed aboard for two weeks at a time through the Two Weeks Before the Mast program. The vessel will stay 1-2 weeks in a different port in the Puget Sound throughout the season, with a few longer port stays or repeated ports.
The work week runs Wednesday through Monday, with Mondays as maintenance and/or transit days, Tuesdays as all hands days off, and Wednesdays through Sundays programming days during which each crew member will rotate through an additional day off (schedule is subject to minor adjustments depending on programming requirements).
With the exception of transits, festivals, and special events, the work day shall not exceed nine hours. Transits under eight hours will be used as all hands maintenance time, while over 8 hours the crew will be broken into watches.
The season will conclude in October with hauling out in Port Townsend to begin the vessel’s half-life refit. There is the potential for contract extensions into the winter for those who would like to participate in the refit.
Bosun/Deckhand $1,500 to $1,800 Monthly DOE
The Bosun is responsible for the ongoing maintenance and repair of the hull, deck, rigging, and sails of the vessel. They work closely with the master and mate to coordinate maintenance priorities with available materials and labor. They conduct monthly rig inspections to identify current and upcoming repair needs and keep a record of all maintenance issues identified, projects completed, and an inventory of supplies on hand. They provide training to crew to complete projects and understand rigging and vessel maintenance.
Previous square-rig bosunry experience preferred. Must have strong knowledge of shipboard maintenance. Ability to keep accurate, organized records. Strong communication skills, adherence to safety procedures, and the ability to work with and teach others of varying skill levels and ages is expected.
Engineer/Deckhand $1,500 to $1,800 Monthly DOE
The Engineer is responsible for maintaining and repairing all shipboard electrical and mechanical systems as well as piping, tankage, and pumps. They keep a neat and tidy engine room, inventory of appropriate spare parts and supplies, accurate logs of all maintenance and repairs, and maintain a consistent schedule of daily and monthly inspections of all systems. Strong communication skills, adherence to safety procedures, and the ability to work with and teach others of varying skill levels and ages is expected.
Must have mechanical aptitude, experience repairing electrical, mechanical, and/or plumbing systems, the and ability to keep accurate and organized records. Willing and able to troubleshoot and ask questions and report any issues to the master. Tall ship sailing experience preferred.
Purser/Deckhand $1,200 to $1,500 Monthly DOE
The Purser is responsible for accurate tracking, recording, and reporting of all income and expenses aboard the vessel; overseeing the operation of the ship’s store, admissions, donations, programming fees, and ship-related expenses. They generate daily and weekly reports of income and expenditures to be mailed to the office. The Purser also acts as a deckhand while not actively performing their duties.
Basic bookkeeping skills, proficiency in Microsoft Excel, retail and cash handling experience preferred. Ability to keep accurate, organized, and meticulous records. Tall ship sailing experience preferred.
Ed. Coordinator/Deckhand $1,200 to $1,500 Monthly DOE
The Education Coordinator is the shipboard contact for education programming aboard the vessel. They work closely with the GHHS Program Director and Captain to reach out to local schools and coordinate field trips. During programming, the Education Coordinator welcomes, orients, and assigns watch groups to each class. They ensure small group lessons are taught accurately and to a high standard. They ensure each member of the crew is well-versed in the vessel’s history and able to interpret that history for members of the public. They also assist as directed by the Chief Mate and Captain with the training of two-week volunteer trainees.
Previous education experience preferred, but not required. Previous traditional sailing experience preferred, but not required. Adept at crowd control.
Deckhand $1,000 Monthly
Deckhands sail and maintain the vessel as well as deliver educational programming both to students and the public. Deckhands are encouraged to assist the bosun and engineer with their duties, either as assigned engineer/bosun’s mates or on a rotation.
Prior experience on traditional vessels, especially square rig, is preferred, but not required. Prior experience teaching experiential education programs is preferred, but not required. A professional attitude and ability to be a team player is more important.
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tristanaef · 4 months
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I can now share the poster on Careers of the Franklin Expedition that I presented at Terror Camp! Here's a blog post about Terror Camp, the project, and some possible next steps.
And here's the poster in all its glory: https://tinyurl.com/fe-careers
This weekend was really such a fantastic experience. I can't put it into words that do it justice.
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aber-flyingtiger · 1 year
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Visited the National Museum of the Royal Navy (Portsmouth) back in February, and then completely forgot to post anything.
Last time I went there was about 20 years ago and Mary Rose was not yet fully preserved- but these days she looks incredible, and was perhaps my favourite part of the trip. I would highly recommend a visit, even if it is just to see Mary Rose.
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Yo I was reading about the Franklin Expedition (I was bored ok!!!) and I found this
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@zooophagous I know you like wet specimens and the Franklin Expedition! (Technically not a full animal but. Still.)
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littleastrobleme · 2 months
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A little French sailor on an early 20th century postcard.
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radiantbastard · 23 days
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Seeing a battleship magazine explosion will never not fuck me up. Just the sheer magnitude of ordinance.
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Congrats old chap
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[Microfilm Caird Library/original private collection]
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scotianostra · 4 months
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On 22nd November 1869 the clipper "Cutty Sark" was launched at Dumbarton on the River Clyde.
Cutty Sark was built for a firm of ship owners called Willis & Sons, headed by John ‘Jock’ Willis, whose ambition was that she be the fastest ship in the annual race to bring home the first of the new season’s tea from China.
She was designed by Hercules Linton, a partner in the Dumbarton firm of Scott & Linton. It is believed that he moulded the bowlines of Willis’s earlier vessel Tweed into the midship attributes of Firth of Forth fishing boats, creating a beautiful new hull shape that was stronger, could take more sail, and be driven harder than any other.
The company had never built a ship of this size before and ran into financial difficulties, eventually going bankrupt before she was completed. The final details of the fitting out had to be completed by William Denny & Brothers, Scott & Linton’s landlords and the guarantors for the completion of the work on the original contract.
Cutty Sark was towed to Greenock for final work on her masts and rigging. She was then taken to London to load her first cargo for China in 1870.
The ship was named after Cutty-sark, the nickname of the witch Nannie Dee in Robert Burns's 1791 poem Tam o' Shanter. The ship's figurehead, the original of which has been attributed to carver Fredrick Hellyer of Blackwall, is a stark white carving of a bare-breasted Nannie Dee with long black hair holding a grey horse's tail in her hand. In the poem she wore a linen sark that she had been given as a child, which explains why it was cutty, or in other words far too short. The erotic sight of her dancing in such a short undergarment caused Tam to cry out "Weel done, Cutty-sark", which subsequently became a well known catchphrase. Originally, carvings by Hellyer of the other scantily clad witches followed behind the figurehead along the bow, but these were removed by Willis in deference to 'good taste'. Tam o' Shanter riding Meg was to be seen along the ship's quarter. The motto, Where there's a Willis away, was inscribed along the taffrail. The Tweed, which acted as a model for much of the ship which followed her, had a figurehead depicting Tam o' Shanter.
Unfortunately for Willis, the launch of the Cutty Sark coincided with the opening of the Suez Canal and the growing popularity of steamships. Steam-driven ships could pass through the canal, whereas clipper ships like the Cutty Sark could not. That meant that steam, ships could cut thousands of miles off the trip to China to collect tea. The Cutty Sark, though one of the fastest clipper ships ever built, was outmoded almost before it sailed.
While the Cutty Sark's career in the tea trade was less than a success, her next career in the Australian wool trade was where she truly shone. From 1883-95 the ship made the Australian run, bringing wool exports back to London.
The Cutty Sark consistently outsailed her competitors, and she dominated the wool trade for over a decade, earning a reputation for exceptional speed on the 2-month voyage. She famously once overtook and passed the steamship Britannia, travelling at a rate of 17 knots.
But once more the steamship spoiled the Cutty Sark's career, and once the steam vessels made the Australian wool trade their own, the Cutty Sark was sold to a Portuguese company. From 1895-1922 the ship (renamed Ferreira) was a tramp vessel, carrying cargo between Portugal and the far-flung corners of the Portuguese Empire.
In 1922 the Ferreira put into Falmouth to repair damage suffered in a gale. A retired sea captain named Wilfred Dowman saw the ship and determined to buy her. Dowman restored the Cutty Sark to approximately how she had appeared during her days as a tea clipper.
The ship was used for naval training until 1951 when it was sent to London for the Festival of Britain. She might well have been scrapped following the festival, but the ship was saved by the National Maritime Museum and put into dry dock at Greenwich in 1954, beside the Old Royal Naval College.
In 2007 a devastating fire broke out aboard the Cutty Sark, and it appeared that the ship might be completely destroyed. Thankfully total disaster was avoided, but the subsequent restoration lasted until 2012.
The Cutty Sark is in permanent dry dock at Greenwich, London as a museum ship, check their web page here https://www.rmg.co.uk/cutty-sark/history
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clove-pinks · 5 days
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Joseph Mallord William Turner, Man of War.
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ratuszarsenal · 10 months
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the British empire's war on a mollusc: [1] x [2] x [3] Anthony Burton, "Mines and Miners of Cornwall and Devon : The Tin and Copper Industries" [4] x [5] x [6] x [7] Burton
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rmsfranconia · 30 days
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In case anyone wants to see it, here’s the Franconia documentary.
I’m sorry in advance for the audio quality, I had to use my phone mic to record
youtube
If you want to, please subscribe
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