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Thanks to Hewitt for a useful suggestion. The only one of Chappelle's books
I have on my shelves is his "Search for speed under sail", which isn't
appropriate to my quest. But I'm aware of his reputation.

Chappelle also wrote a book about American fishing schooners, which might
well be worth consulting, although its stated date range is 1825 - 1935, so
it starts 70 years after the vessel I'm interested in. He also wrote, in
1935, "The history of American sailing ships", and I wonder if that goes
back to the small schooners of colonial days. Does anyone have a copy, who
can tell me a few words about it? If it seems useful, I can read it in the
Bodleian library.

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.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Hewitt Schlereth" 
To: 
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2008 2:26 PM
Subject: [NavList 6797] Re: Massachusetts schooners, 1750s


|
| Hi George -
|
| I'm virtually certain you've already checked Howard Irving Chapelle,
| but just in case... He wrote a number of books on American working
| schooners and as I recall them, they were all minutely detailed.
|
| Hewitt
|
| On 12/21/08, George Huxtable  wrote:
| >
| >  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.
| >
| >
| >  >
| >
|
| |
|
|


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