This Wednesday at the Dockyard, we're working on trailers. Our other projects are either in a state of pause (glue and/or paint drying) or awaiting further guidance. Maintenance of the land vehicles is critical, especially when lights are smashed off by rogue stacks of timber hiding behind trailers, wires get eaten by corrosion monsters, and mechanical parts make strange grinding sounds.
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BT
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Discussion about historical costumes continues. As I have mentioned before, we are now starting to recognize these as less and less germaine to operations as participants find other ways to contribute. They have a place, but it is not in record temperatures and tripple digit heat indexes. This, however, comes in the midst of ongoing sourcing for new 1812 US Marine uniforms.
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Therefore the debate and discussion shifts to events and activities that will 1) increase visibility, 2) increase participation, 3) accomplish our base mission, and 4) ditch the costumes. The two major discussions are centered around a couple semi-radical departures.
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First, that sailing ships - their display, operation and maintenance - best reach the above goals. Available resources do not permit us to even consider these goals within the next decade, and so we have always focussed on the periphery, hence ships' boats. However, the primary setback is related to human interaction - our analysis of feasibility is based on some sort of historically accurate interaction with the subject, namely going aboard, touching articles around the deck, learning about the big picture and the details, and conversing with the crew. For this, one would in fact have to produce a full-sized ship. But what about a scaled down version?
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Several scaled down sailing ships have been produced around the world. At one time they were even a popular gift exchanged between royalty. Yet it clearly does not meet the parameters of what we do, with respect to human interaction. Nor does it seem to meet our long-term operational needs or a good investment make - having little marketable value as a watercraft. Our friends in Ship's Company Inc, a nautical reenactor group, are owners of a scale Baltimore Clipper, which sees little active use. It didn't work for them, why should it work for us? What would we use such a thing for?
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It is funny that I had this conversation with Mr. John Millar last year in discussion about our projects. He recommended something similar to me, and I admit I scoffed at the idea. Most of the craft so far produced have been pretty hokey, after all. Couple this with the aforementioned arguements and you'll be about ready to $hit can the discussion as crap.
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But I am among the chief supporters. Let me explain.
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Crowds of spectators at naval events, harbor festivals go there with some expectation - real or subliminal - of seeing sailing ships, in one form or another. Whether it be artwork or actual tall ships visiting, the image of the tall ship is one that cannot be separated from anything we do. And yet unless actual ships are present, looking out to the water is inevitably dissapointing. Even our beloved launch, still under construction, cannot cut the dash as a full rigged ship sailing grandly by. My own experiences aboard HMS Rose and the brig Niagara educated me about the marvels of sailing ship maneuvers, which are far more complex and capable of putting on a great show. Yet even when real ships are present, they seldom maneuver in view of spectators. A large-scale ship could do that, even in 1:5 scale. Couple that with operating batteries (guns) and you have the potential for a great show. Granted, spectators can only observe it from a distance.
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As existing precident I point to the recreation of the ironclad Albemarle that adorns the Plymouth NC Civil War event every year. It's a little hokey (no offense guys!) but it puts on a great show that interprets the actual battle much better than any number of people sitting behind tables with models. Granted, it is not a sailing ship, but the operational precident is there.
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The projected ship in the discussion is a 1:5 scale model of the US Sloop of War HORNET - because she is the only sailing ship whose lines and rig I have in CAD and can readily manipulate in reduced scale. At 26-feet long on deck, she draws three and a half feet of water and her rig extends her length to more than 40 feet long and 30 feet tall. Her crew is projected at a minimum of 3 and maximum of 8 and could manipulate her sails and port and starboard batteries from seated positions where only the tops of their heads would be visible to a distant crowd. Breech loading guns would utilize shotgun-like shells for fast reloading (there are 10 guns per side to reload at a time!) and would be locally fired via lanyards fitted to a firing pin/primer based action.
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For a sense of scale, her main topsail alone would measure roughly 8 feet tall by 9 feet wide at the mainyard. A 150 lb person can actually ascend the rigging to the level of the tops without dangerously upsetting her stability, though this would only be done for maintenance and furling out of the public view - therefore they need not wear costumes! Transportation is a challenge, but could be accomplished on a suitable trailer. Launching at conventional ramps, as well as assembly and breakdown of her rig present many challenges yet unanswered.
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Alone, she is large enough to make quite a show. With other ships of the same type, she could fully reenact sea battles with astounding accuracy and realism, as well as simulate battle damage.
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Go ahead, call me crazy. It's nothing new.
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