How long did it take to build a ship like HMS Victory?
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She was ordered in 1758, laid down in 1759, and launched in 1765. With 246 years of service as of 2024, she is the world's oldest naval vessel still in commission. Below are some very interesting facts (sorry English language)
HMS Victory
HMS Victory was Lord Nelson's flagship in his victory at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. Discover more about the history of the famous ship
........feliciter est google translator
HMS Victory, for example, took over five years to build but three of those years she spent on the ways without work being performed on her.
That time allowed her timbers to season and become stronger and more resistant to rot. Her actual completion in terms of build time was around three years.
British First Rate ship of the line 'Victory' (1765)
British First Rate ship of the line 'Victory' (1765). Dates of service, name changes, previous and next incarnations, dimensions, armament, commanders, officers and crewmen, actions, battles, sources
threedecks.org
I read somewhere it took 40 acres of oak trees to build one first rate vessel.
That's probably why there is so much heathland between Southampton & Bournemouth.
From the 'net: For oak trees to reach full size, they need about 22 feet between trees. This yields about 90 trees per acre so 40 acres makes sense. The National Museum of the Royal Navy claims it took 6000 trees, 90% of which were oak, to build Victory so 60 acres would have been needed if the Museum has the right figures.
I also read the following which was quite interesting. I have not verified the stats so it may all be bogus.
A large warship would have required about 2,000 oak trees for its construction. The Royal George, a 100-gun ship, launched in 1756, used 2,309 loads (a load being 50 cubic feet) of straight oak and 2,306 loads of compass oak (curved grain). But this was not the whole story.
In his book "The London Hanged", historian Peter Linebaugh cites the jealously-guarded perks allowed to Royal Dockyard workers in the 18th century, which were called "chips". These were pieces of waste wood no more than 3 feet long, which the workers were allowed to remove for their own use.
They were partly used as firewood, but, as Samuel Bentham discovered in 1795 while lodging in Portsmouth, the wood was also used for building staircases, doors, cupboards and furniture in their houses. Some bundles were also sold as a way of supplementing very low wages.
Yeoman Lott also conducted research into wastage involved in taking chips between 1768 and 1770. He found that for a third rate ship of 74 guns, the ratio of waste wood to that actually used to build the ship should have been 4:11. In actual fact, 60 percent of the timber ordered found its way back outside the dockyard as chips rather than being incorporated into one of His Majesty's warships!
Nails, brass, rope and sailcloth also disappeared in large quantities…
I also read the following which was quite interesting. I have not verified the stats so it may all be bogus.
A large warship would have required about 2,000 oak trees for its construction. The Royal George, a 100-gun ship, launched in 1756, used 2,309 loads (a load being 50 cubic feet) of straight oak and 2,306 loads of compass oak (curved grain). But this was not the whole story.
In his book "The London Hanged", historian Peter Linebaugh cites the jealously-guarded perks allowed to Royal Dockyard workers in the 18th century, which were called "chips". These were pieces of waste wood no more than 3 feet long, which the workers were allowed to remove for their own use.
They were partly used as firewood, but, as Samuel Bentham discovered in 1795 while lodging in Portsmouth, the wood was also used for building staircases, doors, cupboards and furniture in their houses. Some bundles were also sold as a way of supplementing very low wages.
Yeoman Lott also conducted research into wastage involved in taking chips between 1768 and 1770. He found that for a third rate ship of 74 guns, the ratio of waste wood to that actually used to build the ship should have been 4:11. In actual fact, 60 percent of the timber ordered found its way back outside the dockyard as chips rather than being incorporated into one of His Majesty's warships!
Nails, brass, rope and sailcloth also disappeared in large quantities…
Nothing's changed, then?
Sorry if I am a bit dense this morning, but I am not sure what you are referring to. I think I just probably need more coffee..................
Allan
My favorite is veteran owned Black Rifle coffee, Murdered Out roast. Puts hairs on an x-acto knife.....LoLSorry if I am a bit dense this morning, but I am not sure what you are referring to. I think I just probably need more coffee..................
Allan
It's that 'Divided by the same Language' syndrome, I was referring to employees pilfering from their employers.Sorry if I am a bit dense this morning, but I am not sure what you are referring to. I think I just probably need more coffee..................
Allan
Just had my coffee, thanks!Stuart
... then king Philip to set up the "Invincible Armada" composed of 130 ships... do I deforest all of Spain?
At 1:87 linear scale (1:658503 volume) each OcCre victory kit requires 2.65 square feet of forest.