_Michael_
Troubadour
No, really--I need your maritime expertise!
I have a project ship that never actually existed during the classic Age of Sail, but could still be feasible with the technology at the time. Basically, as you can see from the attached artwork, I am looking to make a trimaran-like ship using a modified brigantine or schooner with two main masts. I am leaning towards a brigantine since they were a bit more robust than schooners and made for war. I call it an Akula attack ship, which I understand to be "shark" in Croatian. I get there are catamarans and trimarans in modern sailing thanks to fiberglass and steel, but I would love to make a frigate size one like a modified brigantine.
There would be two outrigger hulls, and those might feasibly have a single deck in them for crew or supplies and stowage like extra sails and rope, or even to place cannons in, aimed out the sides through little windows. They would be connected by reinforced framing and a deck attached to the sides of the brigantine, and their framing members would likely be attached to the internal frame of the ship to add rigidity and strength. Given that the outrigger hulls are smaller than the central hull, they would likely extend a bit farther below the waterline and have a bit more ballast to ensure stability and reduce roll. They'd likely also have fins along the keel to further help with roll, if needed (I'm a bit hazy on this point as I know it wasn't common during the Age of Sail, but I thought they were experimenting with fins?). They could possibly be made of a lightweight metal to add both ballast and stability in one stroke while leaving the internal area of the outrigger hulls with more space since the fins would act as the missing ballast.
The lower quarter decks of the outriggers would have gunwales and framing members above the deck left exposed with a eyelet through them reinforced with a metal ring and numbered starting at both the fore and aft with 1, and proceeding until they reach the middle. There would be gunwales around the main deck of the center hull, with broad step downs and sideward-facing cargo hatches built into the sides of the center hull (to replace those typically found in the fore and aft cabins, which could now be accessed from the sides).
Atop the main deck along the sides near the edge on either side of each mast would be a track and locking system capstan, with a hemp rope guy line attached to the first yardarm's sides. The capstan has another hemp rope terminating in a hook that crewmen will unwind and attach to one of the framing members with the holes in them along the sides or aft and prow of the outrigger hulls. When attached, they will then unfurl a lateen sail, whose angle can be raked by adjusting the positions of the capstan and the hooks to the outrigger. When out on the open ocean, these lateen quarter deck sails (I'm not really sure what they'd be called) could be deployed to add a lot of extra sail capacity when downwind and not tacking, sort of a sail equivalent of a turbo charger. lol Each mast would have two of these sails, one on each side, and they'd be kept furled vertically otherwise and locked into place with a rope tie off. The number system on the frame members allows the quartermaster or captain to call out the placement of the sails precisely to simplify orders.
Yes, I know the sails on the ship pictured aren't the typical square masts found on a brigantine, which is actually what I'd like--this was the best I could get the AI to produce after two hours of wrestling with it.
Not sure how feasible this is, but I figured I'd ask some experts. For a fantasy ship, it will do just fine. However, I love realism, and would love to be able to make this work in some fashion as I have a kingdom that is nautical based and known for their cutting edge ship designs and technology, so this "Akula" attack ship would be a perfect fit...hopefully.
I'm open to ideas on how to modify it or any thing else I need to know or figure a way around. Appreciate any responses!
I have a project ship that never actually existed during the classic Age of Sail, but could still be feasible with the technology at the time. Basically, as you can see from the attached artwork, I am looking to make a trimaran-like ship using a modified brigantine or schooner with two main masts. I am leaning towards a brigantine since they were a bit more robust than schooners and made for war. I call it an Akula attack ship, which I understand to be "shark" in Croatian. I get there are catamarans and trimarans in modern sailing thanks to fiberglass and steel, but I would love to make a frigate size one like a modified brigantine.
There would be two outrigger hulls, and those might feasibly have a single deck in them for crew or supplies and stowage like extra sails and rope, or even to place cannons in, aimed out the sides through little windows. They would be connected by reinforced framing and a deck attached to the sides of the brigantine, and their framing members would likely be attached to the internal frame of the ship to add rigidity and strength. Given that the outrigger hulls are smaller than the central hull, they would likely extend a bit farther below the waterline and have a bit more ballast to ensure stability and reduce roll. They'd likely also have fins along the keel to further help with roll, if needed (I'm a bit hazy on this point as I know it wasn't common during the Age of Sail, but I thought they were experimenting with fins?). They could possibly be made of a lightweight metal to add both ballast and stability in one stroke while leaving the internal area of the outrigger hulls with more space since the fins would act as the missing ballast.
The lower quarter decks of the outriggers would have gunwales and framing members above the deck left exposed with a eyelet through them reinforced with a metal ring and numbered starting at both the fore and aft with 1, and proceeding until they reach the middle. There would be gunwales around the main deck of the center hull, with broad step downs and sideward-facing cargo hatches built into the sides of the center hull (to replace those typically found in the fore and aft cabins, which could now be accessed from the sides).
Atop the main deck along the sides near the edge on either side of each mast would be a track and locking system capstan, with a hemp rope guy line attached to the first yardarm's sides. The capstan has another hemp rope terminating in a hook that crewmen will unwind and attach to one of the framing members with the holes in them along the sides or aft and prow of the outrigger hulls. When attached, they will then unfurl a lateen sail, whose angle can be raked by adjusting the positions of the capstan and the hooks to the outrigger. When out on the open ocean, these lateen quarter deck sails (I'm not really sure what they'd be called) could be deployed to add a lot of extra sail capacity when downwind and not tacking, sort of a sail equivalent of a turbo charger. lol Each mast would have two of these sails, one on each side, and they'd be kept furled vertically otherwise and locked into place with a rope tie off. The number system on the frame members allows the quartermaster or captain to call out the placement of the sails precisely to simplify orders.
Yes, I know the sails on the ship pictured aren't the typical square masts found on a brigantine, which is actually what I'd like--this was the best I could get the AI to produce after two hours of wrestling with it.
Not sure how feasible this is, but I figured I'd ask some experts. For a fantasy ship, it will do just fine. However, I love realism, and would love to be able to make this work in some fashion as I have a kingdom that is nautical based and known for their cutting edge ship designs and technology, so this "Akula" attack ship would be a perfect fit...hopefully.
I'm open to ideas on how to modify it or any thing else I need to know or figure a way around. Appreciate any responses!
Inkling
Myth Weaver
