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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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