NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Massachusetts schooners, 1750s
From: George Huxtable
Date: 2008 Dec 21, 17:17 -0000
From: George Huxtable
Date: 2008 Dec 21, 17:17 -0000
I wonder if any Navlist member knows about this, or knows where I can find information. It's not really a navigational question, though. It relates to the years when James Cook was surveying Newfoundland, in 1763 to 1767, before he became famous. In 1763, the British Admiralty bought a schooner for the purpose, which they named "Grenville". John Robson's website, at http://pages.quicksilver.net.nz/jcr/ships , tells me that she was originally the "Sally", which had been built in 1754 in Massachusetts. She was 55 feet, 69 tons. Apparently, the Admiralty thought it a useful design, because several similar vessels were purchased around that time. Cook made Atlantic passages back to England for each Winter, regular as clockwork. It's those passages I am taking an interest in, rather than the survey work itself. I would like to discover a bit more about those schooners, particularly their rig. It would be interesting to discover how the mainmast was supported from forwards: whether it had a mainstay coming down to deck level near the foot of the foremast. And if so, how clashes were avoided with the gaff foresail, whether it was loose-footed or was stretched by a boom. I wonder if that information exists. Cook didn't retain that rig for long, because on her first winter in London, Grenville was rerigged as a brig. Sally, a schooner, may perhaps have hailed from Marblehead, but I would like to emphasise that am NOT seeking information about the famous Marblehead schooner yachts of a much later era, beautiful objects though those rich man't playthings may have been. It's the trading / fishing vessels, the working craft of the mid 18th century, that I'm following up. George. contact George Huxtable, at george@hux.me.uk or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222) or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Navigation List archive: www.fer3.com/arc To post, email NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---