Traditional Warship Performance

Rich_F

Rich_F

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I've got a friend who's looking into writing a computer game based around sea battles. Does anyone know a good web-based source of information about the performance of fighting ships under sail, both in terms of manoueverability and outright performance?

Thanks,

<hr width=100% size=1>Rich

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.marineinteriors.co.uk>Marine Interiors - Beautiful Marine Upholstery</A>
 
i think you'd be pushed to find anything other than anecdotal evidence about ships of the line. you might have more luck with frigates as Grand Turk (used in the hornblower tv series) is an accurate replica. a google might help for that.

sailing warships normally fought under topsails only which made them pretty slow in action so speed under normal passage-making canvas is irrelevant to what happened during a battle.

sounds like a good idea - is it to be all-singing-all-dancing virtual reality or little ship outlines in plan view?

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Thanks, I'll have a search for the Grand Turk information.

The game will be turn-based strategy. It's non-commercial, and based very loosely on the existing game "Wooden Ships and Iron Men" . I doubt if the graphics will ever get very flashy - the main point is the strategy.

I'm trying to encourage him to introduce ever-more-complex details of weather, tides and boat behaviour!

<hr width=100% size=1>Rich

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.marineinteriors.co.uk>Marine Interiors - Beautiful Marine Upholstery</A>
 
Should be able to get some data from the replica of a 6th rate originally known as <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tallshiprose.org/>HMS Rose </A> (now renamed Surprise following their involvement in the film Master and Commander).

I would also write to the Commanding Officer of HMS Victory and ask if that data is available.

Somewhere in the RN archives is the data you require.

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I know of no online resources I'm afraid, but Jean Boudroit's four volume 'The 74 Gun Ship' is as definitive a work as was ever attempted about anything!!

<hr width=100% size=1>Nickel

Being paranoid simply means - having all the facts.
 
Tut Tut Rich, You should not be wasting time playing computer games but helping that wife of your's running the best yacht upholstery buisness on the south coast.

Paul.

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Beaufort's original (1808) scale of wind speed was specified in terms of the speed and sail-carrying capacity of a "well-conditioned man of war". Up to force 4 she would carry full sail and the force was given by the ship's speed; above F4 the force was estimated from the sail reduction.

Force 1 gave steerage way; F2 gave 1 to 2 knots; F3 gave 3 to 4 knots, and F4 gave 5 to 6 knots. F11 (violent storm) reduced her to storm staysails and F12 was specified as "That which no canvas could withstand.

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Such gems of knowledge make dealing with all the agro Scuttlebutt worth it.

Hope its true because I now believe it.

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>>>Such gems of knowledge make dealing with all the agro Scuttlebutt worth it.

Absolutely! Thanks, everyone, for the pointers.

<hr width=100% size=1>Rich

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.marineinteriors.co.uk>Marine Interiors - Beautiful Marine Upholstery</A>
 
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