A reflection

Today I recived the dvd. of Ostindiefaerer "Gotheborg" and their journy to China and back.
In some earlier treads we spoke about these older ships how they went down, lost at sea and so...
There's a great boatbuilding tradition in Sweden for many centuries.
But...When "Gotheborg "was started to be build the sceptics sead: She wont be sailing well, to much round bow, not get her up in any speed. There was many sceptics who condamed her....
And now they all regret this! Coz' they had all forgott the great seaship it actually was. In the 1700 something. She did more than 130 trips to China and back. It had to be a good ship or they wont have done it!
Conclution: The great boatbuilding traditions of the past is forgotten, more than things are better today!

In all humbleness: Hakan-soon rounding the horn-Holm in Swe

 

...I beg to differ mate, many old ships and many modern boats are simply crap, yet they have been sailed by peiople that know what they are doing and the end result is they reach their destinations.

Modern building techniques are very good, solid hulls that do not need men on the pumps 24/7 to keep the hull above the thin dividing line.......

 

True, ships during every age are built to meet thier owners expecatations. Some are built poor and cheap, others get only the best. Sailing to China in 1550 was comparable to going to the Moon. Sailing to China in 1700 is comparable to a tourist going to ISS now. By 1850, it is commonplace, and by 2000 it is ubsequious.

So compare Vasca de Gama's ships to a Saturn V, Gotheborg to a Soyuz or shuttle, The Flying Cloud to a 707 in 1960, and a Maersk Carolina to a container ship.

But as a ship, the Flying Cloud was as far superior in design and construction above the Gotheborg as the Gotheborg was above a Portuguese nao. Likewise the Maersk Carolina above the Flying Cloud.

 

Landlubber and jehardinman sead: "Some are built poor and cheap" More so today I will say! What I was after was, I think the great boatdesigning of yesterday is forgotten, more than it is so much better today. (my guess)
In those days they would have to go to sea to be sure, and testing and so on= real seamen! And all this speaking about their "roundbows". If this aint any good, they wodn't have built them so, I'm sure of it!
Not that many years ago the telling of "roguewaves" was noncense. The engineerer/boatdesigner sead! Look now = my point: I don't think you could calculate everything about a boats behavior, coz' the ocean is not acting on a certain way or it's density should be the same everywere. there's so many aspects, but! I do belive "you" can do a rough calculation. but you can (probably?!) not convince me that "yesterday is crap vs. mastermind today!
One more thing: The boatdesigner sead -some-that "Gothborg" would not be able to sail on more than 4 knop(?!) coz' of weight and bow and....but easely 10, how come?
This is not critic just a reflection friends

 

JEHARDIMAN I now see your point, I see what you meant. (sorry about the delay, translation problem)
Landlubber: Pump 24/ 7??? you're wrong!!!

 

Landlubber: Pump 24/ 7??? you're wrong!!!

Ok maybe a bit of an exageration, but I have sailed on old timber ships, and repaired them too all my life...they leak...fact of life.

Don't get me wrong mate, I do love old timber boats, but unfortunately I am 60+ now, played with them all my life, so I am not so romanticised as you may be. They are hard work from the day that you start till the day they sink.

 

ok mate! I still have a few years before they will wore me out...(he..he)
And I agree they're a hard work, I owned a 9meter schooner once a real nice looking boat but all the work...puh...
here's a pic from her with out her mast's on and my daughter Louise!
The boat to the left is the one I use as a "Plugg" for my new steel sailer. My fathers at the time.

 

....ahhhh ya got ta luv em.

 

"I am not a complete idiot....some parts are still missing!"
"I am a complete idiot..and probably the owner of the missing bits"

 

I'm sorry I was not very clear. What I ment to say was that ships are built to the quality and price required for thier mission. If you are undertaking a long hazadous voyage funded by a quasi-National corporation, you build to a better quality than a skiff built to haul shrimp pots in the local bay. Comparing a modern "commodity" boat to a handbulit "space craft" from 1700, is the same as comparing a 16th century wharf hoy to a NASA Shuttle.