Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire "Worlds Greatest ships"

Watched "Golden Hind" last night, "Cutty Sark" tonight.

Pretty nifty. Check it out.

In the late '80's or early 90's, the replica of the 'Golden Hind' came to Baton Rouge, La. and docked near the 'Kidd'. We (the family) paid a small fee and went aboard. The ship was beautiful and all the rigging was something to see. Very crowded below deck.

They had a escort vessel with the ship in case of trouble, but they said it usually traveled under sail.

Iowa,
New Jersey,
Missouri,
Wisconsin.



JMBO

Too many to compare, Old Iron Sides is something.

Went aboard in London. Very well done! Saw Cutty Sark at Greenwich too before the fire. For sheer significance, the Old Ironsides class of ships has to be way up there. Gave a poor America a formidable navy at lower than normal cost simply by virtue of a brilliant design innovation of diagonal ribbing that prevented "keel hogging", allowing much heavier compliment of guns. That one is in Boston, also an impressive experience.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuestra_Señora_de_la_Concepción

I toured the HMS Victory in England in the 1990s. It was impressive, to say the least. The spot below decks where Nelson died is a national shrine.

Old Ironsides.

the old USS Olympia, CS 6, is quite a tour if you ever get to Philly.

Did the US shipbuilders learn that from the french shop builders?

Years ago we were in Boston and we toured Old Iron Sides as it was in port. We were looking a the rigging while talking to a young sailor. My wife asked him what it was like being up there in a storm and all he could say was "You have no idea!". Those old time sailors had real balls of steel.

A storm at sea can be pretty exciting.

While maybe not a popular ship to most on the fire…..The Bismark was a pretty impressive warship of it’s day! memtb

About the same time the Golden Hind came to Baton Rouge, there was another sailing ship came to port. I forget the name, but it was newer than the Golden Hind. It was a merchant ship that was found abandoned/scuttled? somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea area and refurbished/rebuilt. I noticed it didn't have an escort vessel, so I asked about an engine. When rebuilding it, they installed a small diesel engine and prop to aid the vessel when going against the current (up the Ms. River to the port of Baton Rouge) or in storms, but they usually went under sail, because it was faster. IIRC, this vessel was from the mid to late 1800's.

My wife and I carried our boys to see the “Santa Maria” full size replica when it was docked at Vicksburg Mississippi. Both boys marveled at how small and crowded conditions were. The navigation equipment was hidden below deck. They loved the explanation of the “poop deck” and thought it was hilarious. We don’t have much money but tried to let them see historical sites and events. We were big on picnic lunches and road trips.
I do remember a small watercolor of the Cutty Sark” hanging in my home growing up. We were landlubbers and it may have been liquor advertising. Dad did work some at a liquor store.

I knew the Cutty had caught fire and assumed it destroyed. The film piece said that they got lucky in that much of it was being renovated elsewhere, and it was rebuilt with 95% original parts.

One of my former students served on Old Ironsides. She came to class and gave a great presentation.

Any American Aircraft Carrier

I’m partial to the USS America, obviously biased.

Those old sailing ships are truly beautiful pieces though. I saw the Santa Maria replica or one of the similar in Spain back in 89. Amazing how small they really were.

The Battle Ship Iowa.

Joshua Humphries was an American shipwright in Philadelphia. He came up with the novel diagonal ribbing that enabled a new class of smaller, cheaper, but well armed heavy frigates. Wiki doesn't go into detail but my memory is certain it was his original thinking, not French, or I'm misled. I've not heard of any other reference to his methods.
I saw the Santa Maria in Barcelona after motoring up beside her in a dismasted sailboat on the Hudson River during Operation Sail in 1976. That was a phenomenal experience I wish we had cameras for. Those enormous square riggers all lit up pink and orange by the late day sun blocked out the Manhattan skyline. A truly magnificent show.