The earliest settlements of primitive man were along the banks of streams, water may have been his first means of transit and boat of sorts, his vehicle.
In the earliest days the Egyptians gathered papyrus reeds from the marshes, Bound them in bundles and tied
the Bundles toghether to from a raft shaped vaguey like the
Hull of morder ship. later they placed a big square bundle of reeds in the middle to serve as a platform to keep them dry. Boats similar in design and construction are used today on lake tana in abyssinia and also on lake Titicaca, 12,000 ft. High in the andes.
The catamaran
The hollowed out tree tunk (dug-out) may have accompanied an improvement in stone implements, or been one of the results of learning how to use fire.
Related to the primitive canoe, which has survived almost unchanged throughout the ages, is the British coracle. The Coracle is of very simple form, Oval in Shape and formed
PLATE 1
One of the ships of the Egyptain
XVIII Dynasty, Circa 1480 B.C
The GYASSAS
Ships Of the cinque ports. Thirteenth Century
During the 13th century fore and aft castles began to be added to the ships for frighting purpose. Shrouds were used to stay the mast so that a fighting top couldbe added. Early in the century the bowsprit came into use, Which served to support a small grapnell and to give a longer lead to the bowlines.
In the second half of the century the streering oar was replaced by the rudder hung amidship on the stern post, which was made straighter, This was one of the greatest inventions in the story of sea going ships.
Of Canvas stretched on a farmework of split and interwoven reeds, well coated with pitch to make it watertight.
The Chinese were amongst the first people to study the craft og boat-building. The Sampan was orginally a raft of three timbers with the force end upturned and it developed into a boat in almost prehistoric times.
The true sampan
The Greek Galley (4th century B.C)
Runs out into rwo rails astern with its timbers rounding up and the built in like a bulkhead (partition extending from side to side) Room being left between the bulkhead and the transom beam bolted across the stern for support and strength for the rudder.
Eygpt has always been a land lacking in timber and her earlier boats were built up of short strips of acacia wood tied or pinned sideways to each other. Developments in structure and form have taken place through the ages with the result that before the advent of the steam ship, the sailing ship with her masts and sails was incomparably the most elaborate and comlicated mechnism evolved by the mind of man. Previous to 4000 B.C sailing ships were being used on the Nile. and Many models of the earliest Egyptain boats (For ceremonial purpose) are still in existence.
Palte I Shows a Ship of the Egyptian 18th Dynasty. The Truss and queen posts strengthen the hull againest hogging strains. The sail is supported by a number of lifts which lead through a series of bees lashed to the masthead. Each yard is formed of two spars lashed together in the middle. This has been as far as is known the normal method of constructing the yards of lateen-sails.
The Assyrian Empire---The vessels of greece and rome---galleys.
In the age of Homeric legend and during the minoan civilisation galleys, or vessels mainly propelled by oars, seem to have been in general use and there is little indication of vessels propelled primary by sails.
Triers, Vessels of three banks of oars, did not become common amongst the greeks until about 500 B.C
and for twohundred years this remained the largest type of vessel afloat. These vessels were built on a keel which extended forward of the stem and formed a strong and soild basis on
Which the ram, just submerged, could be built up. To provide transverse strength a series of ribs was fitted,
Which were connected by transverse deck beams. The keel and skin planking together being insufficient to provide the necessary longtitudinal strength, heavy "Zostres" belts or.....
Plate III
The "SANTA MARIA"
The Carvel "Santa maria" Columbus Flag Ship, a type of vessel developed by the Portuguese in the course of their explorations about africa. She had better lines than the old carriers, sailed faster and manoeuvered better. She was 128ft. long. Despite their small size carvels of less than 100 tons often became famous their seaworthiness on long voyages.
PLATE IV
THE "PRINCE"
The "Prince," A first rate of the regin of charles II, designed By Phineas pett, was launched at chatham in 1670, and two years later carried the flag of the Duke of York, after wards KING JAMES II. The ship carried a maximam crew of 780 men under war conditions, and her maximam arangement was 100 guns.
The "Prince " was provided with nine anchors and three boats.
The men-of-war of the end of the 17th century were remarkable for the amount of carved and gilded work which adorned them. The stren of the "Prince" is closed, without galleries. The mizzen mast is Short in comparsion with the others, while the bowsprit did not project far beyoned the figurehead. The tops were cricular with a well marked rim. The dimension of the "Prince" were were Length of keel 131ft..., beam 45.8ft..., Draught 21.5ft. Wales extending from end to end on the outside of the vessel bound it together, thus preventing the bow and stern from sagging.
Mediterrancean boats were minly carvel built.
The Roman Sailing Ship. 2nd Century A.D
Built with a very definite stem, less pronounced stren post,strong external keel. On each quarter at the upper deck level, was a trough like projection, open at the after end which served to support the steering oars and into which these oars were drawn up and housed when not in use.
The Viking Ship.
The Gokstad, 9th Century A.D This is vessel is a large double-ended opean boat. Is Built of oak, with heavy external keel, high stem and stern post. transerse is provided by a number of frams or ribs.
with the incursions of the Arabs in the 7th centuary the triangular lateen sail seems to have rapidly replaced the square sail, but except for this change, there is little difference between the typically Mediterrancean crafts say of the 9th centuy and the Roman grain ships of 700 years before.
PLATE V
Royal Stuart Yacht
This is a typical one of fourteen yachts buit for king Charls II, Built by Phineas Pett at Woolwich in 1674. She carried a large carving of the Royal Arms on the stern. Yachting was introduced into England by King Charlas II Who took great interest inthe vessels.
These yachts were designed on the lines of a sixth rate Man-of-war, And carried a Half-Sprit or Standing Gaff. Dimensions: Length of keel 56ft..., Lenght if DEck 70 ft..., Breadth 20.3ft..., Depth in hold 8.1ft...Armament eight 3 p'drs.
TWO MASTED SHIPS
In 1418 HEnry V's Grace Dieu, "had mesan in addition to her "Great" mast. The hull of this ship was about 100f.t long, so it is not difficult to understand the need of the second mast. The great increase in size which took place in this regin, up to a maximam of 1000 tons compared with 300 tons in the regin of Edwared III, Must have been bound up with the introduction from the mediterracean of a second or third mast.
Soveregin of the seas (1637)
Sovereign of the seas 1637. Was designed by Phineas Pett, laid down at Woolwich 1636, launched 13th oct...,1637, and showed a considreable advance on any ship which had preceded her. She carried her guns in three tiers.There is no indication of the existences of two or three masted ships in European waters until the beginning of the 15th century.
During the middle ages the usual method od reducing sail seems to have been by means of reef points, whereby a portion of the sail, either top or bottom, could be tied up. Bonnets rectangular pieces of sailcloth, in depth or courses, in such a way that they couldbe easily stripped when the wind freshened.
1761 saw the introdution of copper sheathing of the under-water body of the Frigate "Alam," to combat the ravages of the "Teredo" Which attacked the wooden hull.
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