"I am a shipbuilder who has spent his life building beautiful ships. I have built a fleet that traces its origin to ancient Egypt, Rome, and Venice, and includes many of history’s nest, most elaborately decorated ships. Yet I have never visited any of these places and none of my ships have been to sea. The fleet that I created is a miniature one."
The dugout is one of several types of canoe. The canoe is a small open boat whose name derives from canoa, a term used throughout the West Indies and much of Latin America. Dugout canoes were logs hollowed out by burning them and scraping out the charred wood. These types of canoes have been used by many cultures.
Observing the animals, prehistoric humans improvised a way to float upon the waters. So, with intellect and reason to guide them, the first rafts were constructed by simply lashing tree trunks together with vines.
Circa 1480 B.C.
The rope shown stretched taut from stem to stern provided longitudinal strength to prevent the hull from breaking apart in rough seas. The decorative elements, including the symbolic eye on the bow and the lotus shaped stern, were common motifs in Egyptian culture.
Circa 50 A. D
The steering oars seen on each side of the hull were the ancient equivalents of a rudder, used to guide the ship. The graceful swan at the stern was typical of the ornamental additions to these ships. The swan was glorified in death, so it served to remind all Roman citizens that they should be willing to die for the Empire.
Circa 1066
These ships, similar to those of the Vikings, had high bows and sterns that helped them navigate heavy seas. They were equipped with one large sail but were rowed in the absence of favorable winds. The carving on the stern of the ship is thought to depict William’s son, Robert.
Circa 1492
Although Santa Maria was primarily rigged with square sails, it also carried a triangular lateen sail typical of Mediterranean vessels. Another innovation evident on this ship was the ability to steer by a rudder at the back of the ship rather than by side-mounted steering oars.
Circa 1492
These ships were smaller than Santa Maria, light, fast, and shallow in draft, making them ideal for voyages of coastal exploration. Caravels usually had two or three masts with square sails and triangular lateen sails. The square sails seen here were a modification for trans-Atlantic travel.
Circa 1650
These vessels combined the sailing characteristics of a ship with the maneuverability of a rowed galley. Oars supplied propulsion in the absence of wind, and the large sails and deep draft hull allowed for longer voyages in turbulent seas.
Circa 1670
Except for its deeper draft and no need for leeboards—and of course its decorative detail—the English Royal Yacht was an exact structural replica of the Dutch Royal Yacht. Charles II was infatuated by jaght racing during his 10-year exile in Holland.
Circa 1660
This 17th century vessel features innovations including a whipstaff and leeboards. A whipstaff is a wooden rod, extended through the deck and attached to the tiller. Large leeboards were lowered to reduce drift while sailing.
Circa 1687
Carved ornamentation on naval vessels reached its peak during the latter part of 17th century. European warships were lavishly decorated with gilded carvings and it was not unusual for 25 percent of the cost to be expended on these elaborate decorations.
Circa 1692
Accent the first syllable and we have a vessel for transport of passengers and cargo on the narrow canals of Venice. Accent the second syllable and we have an open-top vessel for the transport of coal and other bulk cargo on the railroad. The gondola is one of the few watercraft in the world to be built asymmetrically. The shape counteracts the force of its single oar.
Circa 1690
Although rigged with two large triangular sails, the vessel could also be rowed. There are forty-nine large oars, each measuring thirty-seven feet long, that were pulled by five men, typically condemned criminals and other prisoners. The galley’s hull was so low that in moderate seas it would take on water.
Circa 1810
Much of the ships’ great speed came from the lofty rig. The efficiency of the sail plan represents a high point in sail design. And for the first time, the steering wheel replaces the tiller and whipstaff.
Circa 1805
Since the Royal Navy hoarded the diminishing supply of English oak suitable for structural work, the India men were among the first ships built with iron interior bracing.
Circa 1840
Britannia’s steam engines were so inefficient that the ship could barely carry enough coal to make the Atlantic crossing from Britain to the United States. The 400-horse power engines were capable of driving the ship at 81/2 knots and used 38 tons of coal a day! Her three-masted rig was thus a practical necessity.
