Does anyone know anything about sailing (18th century)

Delilah_Night

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May 9, 2016
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Hi all

I know it's a long shot, but does anyone here know about 18 th century sailing? Editing my next novel, and I could use the input (paid) about boats, knots, pirates, etc. I've read a lot of non-fiction about the topic, but I've never sailed on a ship or tired a knot.

XO
 
Reading the Hornblower books by C S Forester should give you more than you need to know. His seamanship was accurate.
 
+1 for Hornblower - CS Forester is detailled. That level of real world detail and realism (in the same way as you can actually do the math for Larry Niven's Ringworld) is a key appeal of those books.

The International Guild of Knot Tyers (yes, that is a thing...) has a list of knots known in the 18th century: http://www.igkt.net/sm/index.php?topic=600.0

Any good knotting book would be able to tell you the general uses of the knots, but here is a list of knots and what they're used for on board a ship: http://www.boatsafe.com/marlinespike/know.htm
 
The Patrick Obrien Master and Commander series was fantastic.

I have no idea what half the terms actually mean, but it's like sleeping in a Holiday Inn Express, I think I do.
 
I may be able to give you a hand. I spent over 24 years in the U.S. Navy (steel ships)I have read every Hornblower book several times and was reading about the U.S.S. Constitution in the war of 1812 and another from the POV of a young Midshipman serving in a privateer.

I was also on my Boy Scout troops Knot tying team.

Ask what you want and I'll do my best to answer or do the research to find the correct answer.

Mike
 
That's my favorite sort of fiction. Good Luck!

I offer my services as a Beta Reader.
 
Thanks for all your support and suggestions! I'm dealing with an unexpected health crisis, so I'll be following up with some of you (and definitely checking out the hornblower series) once things settle down.
 
Reading the Hornblower books by C S Forester should give you more than you need to know. His seamanship was accurate.

My personal favorite author of historical nautical fiction was his protégé Dudley Pope.
 
I have read some of the Dudley Pope books. They are too unrealistic, but the romance in them is great.
 
Hope when you finish your writing you will let us know where we can obtain it. My dad crewed on a tall ship of a friend of his and I have been on the Spanish Naval Academy tall ship that their upper class cadets get to cruise the world on. I was on a wooden ship, but it was a small mine sweeper as slow as the old sailing ships and just as crowded but no cigar. The old gal floated like a rock, bobed like a cork and was as water tight as a sponge. You may not believe this, but we even got boarded by pirates off China. What a bunch of jerks those fools were. Good luck with your health and with your writing.
 
The Patrick Obrien Master and Commander series was fantastic.

I have no idea what half the terms actually mean, but it's like sleeping in a Holiday Inn Express, I think I do.

Hornblower...well...the writing is OK, I'll be generous...on a junior high level.

Patrick O'Brian...literature. He has been compared with Jane Austen.

There are several companion books to go with POB. Music, maps, words...more than you should need.
 
18th century sailing.

Sailing today is much the same as then.
I was born on an old Bristol Pilot Cutter and we lived on it for ages.
Knots can easily be learned. Seamanship only comes with experience,but can be sooooooo rewarding.

Our boat(as you call them) was Gaff rigged with tan sails

My Dad was shipwrecked 3 times but could not swim at all, like me. He was an Ocean Racing Skipper.
I was also on a winning fastnet Yacht way back.

Water to cold in U.K for swimming as a pleasure.
I also served a s an Engineer Officer in the British Merchant Marine. Mostly in Savage.
Born Cowes in the Isle of Wight
 
The Patrick Obrien Master and Commander series was fantastic.

I have no idea what half the terms actually mean, but it's like sleeping in a Holiday Inn Express, I think I do.

I second Patrick O'Brien - and I'm a former maritime museum employee. He was freaking awesome.
 
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