Storage Location of Sweeps/Oars on Ships

[Signet]

Many ships modeled here and elsewhere have ports for sweeps, to help position the ship or to make some headway when no wind is available. Some ships have well over a dozen large sweeps.

Where are those sweeps stored when not in use? I think I recall one example/photo that had them stored to the side of the quarterdeck in/on some kind of support, but can't find it. Does anyone have any information on where these oars/sweeps would have been stored?

 

[Winter]

Many ships modeled here and elsewhere have ports for sweeps, to help position the ship or to make some headway when no wind is available. Some ships have well over a dozen large sweeps.

Where are those sweeps stored when not in use? I think I recall one example/photo that had them stored to the side of the quarterdeck in/on some kind of support, but can't find it. Does anyone have any information on where these oars/sweeps would have been stored?

Гребные бриги и фрегаты - форум моделистов Судомоделизм

Коллеги, никто не подскажет, где можно посмотреть продольные разрезы? Никак не могу понять, как в компоновку вписаны гребцы Вообще с продольными разрезами тех же бригов в сети странная напряженка. Тот же гугль кроме разрезов Бигля ничего толком не на..

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[Winter]

Фоторепортаж из музея Черноморского флота г. Севастополя. Часть 2

Верфь на столе - Фоторепортаж из музея Черноморского флота г. Севастополя. Часть 2

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[Signet]

Фоторепортаж из музея Черноморского флота г. Севастополя. Часть 2

Верфь на столе - Фоторепортаж из музея Черноморского флота г. Севастополя. Часть 2

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Thank you for that information, but the only thing I found in it about oar/sweep storage was one post stating that they were stored below deck, while in every case I have seen that is impossible or unlikely. Some were apparently stored on deck, but most of the smaller ships had no room on deck.

 

[AllanKP69]

Sweeps were often stored in the waist like spare yards. Like things in the age of sail, there may have been alternative methods.
I have not seen photos of contemporary models showing the sweeps, but the below from Preble Hall has two spare yards where the sweeps possibly were also stored. They would be up and out of the way when not in use.

The below is the modern full size rebuild of Niagara showing the sweeps stored midships

 

[RogerD]

Many ships modeled here and elsewhere have ports for sweeps, to help position the ship or to make some headway when no wind is available. Some ships have well over a dozen large sweeps.

Where are those sweeps stored when not in use? I think I recall one example/photo that had them stored to the side of the quarterdeck in/on some kind of support, but can't find it. Does anyone have any information on where these oars/sweeps would have been stored?

A very timely post, I’m presently working on the 16 sweeps for the Syren. When finished they will be stowed in bundles of eight on the gallows bitts each side of the longboat. See attached photo from the manual by Chuck Passaro.

 

[Signet]

Sweeps were often stored in the waist like spare yards. Like things in the age of sail, there may have been alternative methods.
I have not seen photos of contemporary models showing the sweeps, but the below from Preble Hall has two spare yards where the sweeps possibly were also stored. They would be up and out of the way when not in use.

A very timely post, I’m presently working on the 16 sweeps for the Syren. When finished they will be stowed in bundles of eight on the gallows bitts each side of the longboat. See attached photo from the manual by Chuck Passaro.

Many thanks, guys. Those ideas work well on those ships. I didn't mention, not wanting to skew the results, but the ship in question is the bomb vessel Granado. She had no room on her decks for longboats nor spare spars and such. Luckily, she was usually accompanied by a tender, which could provide such items. Sweeps, however, would be clumsy and time-consuming to transfer, yet were instrumental in the operation of a bomb vessel, where a launch would normally set a kedge anchor near the shore attached the the bomb vessel, set the vessel some distance from shore, and use the sweeps to help position, aim and stabilize the vessel. Thus, sweeps were very often necessary to the ships operation, not just in calm water.

The photo below shows the cluttered decks of the Granado. It would seem that not even the mortars and 4" guns could be used at the same time, and anything on the already overcrowded main deck would severely hamper normal operations:

The only position on-deck I see for sweeps to be stored is on the quarterdeck, shown in red above. But even then they would interfere with the railing, completely block one at least one set of stairs (depending on if all 18 sweeps were stored on one side, or 9 on each), and possibly hamper operation of the tiller.

To me, the most reasonable place for storing them is extended outside the hull on some sort of rack, indicated by the red lines above.

The Granado at the Royal Museums Greenwich show some of the sweeps off the vessel for reference:

and also on the main deck, but occupying the space that most of the 4" guns would have been mounted:


Again, I believe the most reasonable place for storing them is extended outside the hull on some sort of rack. Someone here posted a model photo with some sort of rack (not the Granado), but I can't seem to find it.

 

[DAWarden-(Jaager)]

There would have been ample opportunity to try various methods, but for a first guess:
The mortars and the sweeps would have been in use at the same time.
The sweep storage could interfere with what would be the mortar arc of fire since they would not be there when that was in function.
I would have gallows that could be removed in the waist. I would store the sweeps on the gallows and have the boats on the sweeps.
The mortar time of use would be in specific circumstances and not an "enemy in sight, clear for action, no time to waste".
I would not have missed using the boats to help with mortar aiming, so I see a total either/or situation there.
I would not have wished to sail into a storm with sweeps stored in your proposed locations. As it was, I would have liked to be able the lower the mortars to the hold in a storm.