Existing comment:
Ship Model Maker's Shop (1700):
Authorities today believe that when a Master Shipwright was ordered to produce a fine dockyard model of the ship he was building, he or his Assistant hand-picked one or more shipwrights who were not only adept at working in miniature but who thoroughly knew every phase of ship construction from the keel up. They were presumably given a place to work -- a shed or hut on the grounds of the dockyard -- and provided with the necessary materiel and tools, plus an exact copy of the building draught used to construct the full-scale ship. The best of the model makers were authorized one or more apprentices, but otherwise they were paid only their regular shipwright's salary. When a model was finished, it was given to its new owner and the modelers either returned to their regular jobs as shipwrights or set to work on another dockyard model.
Below Decks on a Model:
Since the 1980s, curators have been examining the interior spaces of dockyard models with modern fiber optic tools, mainly industrial borescopes and surgical arthroscopes. ...
Fighting at Close Quarters:
Ships' cannon had an effective range of about a mile and a half; carronades about 400 yards. But, if two ships came within close range, small arms could create havoc on an enemy's decks. In the event the two ships became entangled, boarders might carry the day with a variety of edged weapons or even the use of belaying pins as clubs. |