Sea-Dog
12-08-2007, 08:35 AM
I somehow found a pdf version of a book published in 1812 about "premature decay, in our wooden bulwarks
"
It mentions quite a few interesting facts about early warship building:
" A first rate man of war, becomes useless, from premature decay, in 5 or 6 years."
"The cost of a 3 decked ship, in her hull alone, is worth nearly 100,000 pounds"
(that's the 1812 cost)
"A 74-gun ship takes 2000 well-grown trees (english oak) of nearly 2 tons each."
"If these trees were planted 33 feet apart, the building of a 74-gun ship would clear 50 acres of english oak"
They were saying that back in 1812, they couldn't supply the timber needs of their own navy, and had to import foreign timbers. Also these foreign timbers were the ones that were prematurely failing due to dry rot and spreading dry rot to the good english oak in the ship.
The writer then says that more oaks should be planted for future needs of the english navy. He also says, that Spanish chestnut trees should also be planted for the purpose of future shipbuilding, since chestnut will last for a thousand years, whilst oak will only last half this long.
If you're a bit of a history buff.... here's the link.
http://books.google.com/books?id=DlkBAAAAQAAJ&dq=bulwarks&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=cupXyIYQyW&sig=YF6Qpv8Ob-eQS5yD3lzO-dZObec#PPA19,M1
Cheers, Ross
"
It mentions quite a few interesting facts about early warship building:
" A first rate man of war, becomes useless, from premature decay, in 5 or 6 years."
"The cost of a 3 decked ship, in her hull alone, is worth nearly 100,000 pounds"
(that's the 1812 cost)
"A 74-gun ship takes 2000 well-grown trees (english oak) of nearly 2 tons each."
"If these trees were planted 33 feet apart, the building of a 74-gun ship would clear 50 acres of english oak"
They were saying that back in 1812, they couldn't supply the timber needs of their own navy, and had to import foreign timbers. Also these foreign timbers were the ones that were prematurely failing due to dry rot and spreading dry rot to the good english oak in the ship.
The writer then says that more oaks should be planted for future needs of the english navy. He also says, that Spanish chestnut trees should also be planted for the purpose of future shipbuilding, since chestnut will last for a thousand years, whilst oak will only last half this long.
If you're a bit of a history buff.... here's the link.
http://books.google.com/books?id=DlkBAAAAQAAJ&dq=bulwarks&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=cupXyIYQyW&sig=YF6Qpv8Ob-eQS5yD3lzO-dZObec#PPA19,M1
Cheers, Ross