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LUCZORAMA SHIPWRECK SCAVENGER HUNT GIVEAWAY. 4 Weeks of Fun • 1 Legendary Prize ((OcCre’s Fram Ship)) • Global Crew Welcome!
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Patience, my friend
Just one more week and everything will fall into place You've created a great project! It was difficult, but very interesting and exciting to bring your ideas to life in wood. In the world of ship modeling, especially when it comes to the early medieval era, there is simply nothing else at this level — and for that, modelers from all over the world will thank you many times!
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The construction of the ship is complete. A little sad, the adventure was interesting....
The new "Nef of Winchelsea" kit.
The new "Nef of Winchelsea" kit.
Congratulations, Pavel! That’s a very nice-looking model—should be a lot of fun to build. Do you have an idea of when the kit might become available for purchase?
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A few more photos...
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The aft turret of the Nef will be fitted with a rotating ‘artillery’ installation...)
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- May 13, 2019
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Hello Pavel,
There’s no solid historical evidence confirming that nefs were equipped with ballistae, onagers, or trebuchets. However, we shouldn’t completely rule out the possibility. Similar weapons had been used on ships since ancient times — dating back to the Romans and even earlier.
If a nef did carry such a weapon, it was most likely a ballista, capable of launching heavy darts and occasionally stones. An onager, on the other hand, seems far less likely on a vessel of this size — not only due to its limited accuracy, but also because of its massive weight. To hurl a 5 kg stone, the machine itself would likely weigh over a ton — far too heavy and bulky for a ship like a nef. So while there is no archaeological confirmation, the presence of small torsion-powered weapons aboard nefs remains a theoretical, yet not impossible, option.
There’s no solid historical evidence confirming that nefs were equipped with ballistae, onagers, or trebuchets. However, we shouldn’t completely rule out the possibility. Similar weapons had been used on ships since ancient times — dating back to the Romans and even earlier.
If a nef did carry such a weapon, it was most likely a ballista, capable of launching heavy darts and occasionally stones. An onager, on the other hand, seems far less likely on a vessel of this size — not only due to its limited accuracy, but also because of its massive weight. To hurl a 5 kg stone, the machine itself would likely weigh over a ton — far too heavy and bulky for a ship like a nef. So while there is no archaeological confirmation, the presence of small torsion-powered weapons aboard nefs remains a theoretical, yet not impossible, option.
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While researching the Sandwich nef, I also considered the possibility of heavier onboard weaponry — beyond bows or crossbows. In that context, I’d like to share a few interesting illustrations related to the most well-known naval battle of that time: the Battle of Sandwich in 1217.
The first image is a modern interpretation. It shows an oversized nef equipped with a massive onager — clearly a creative fantasy, more of a medieval “dreadnought” than a historically accurate depiction.
The second image, dating from the early 20th century, presents a more restrained scene: swords, spears, crossbows, and notably, a container with what appears to be a flammable substance, likely intended as an incendiary weapon.
But perhaps the most convincing depiction comes from the Chronica Majora (13th century), which also portrays the Battle of Sandwich. In this illustration, we see a sling launching a container — probably filled with a burning mixture — and an archer with an arrow tipped with a similar container. This suggests the use of incendiary projectiles, which seems quite plausible given the context. Altogether, these images suggest that fire-based weapons and simple throwing mechanisms may well have played a role in this historically significant naval battle.
The first image is a modern interpretation. It shows an oversized nef equipped with a massive onager — clearly a creative fantasy, more of a medieval “dreadnought” than a historically accurate depiction.
The second image, dating from the early 20th century, presents a more restrained scene: swords, spears, crossbows, and notably, a container with what appears to be a flammable substance, likely intended as an incendiary weapon.
But perhaps the most convincing depiction comes from the Chronica Majora (13th century), which also portrays the Battle of Sandwich. In this illustration, we see a sling launching a container — probably filled with a burning mixture — and an archer with an arrow tipped with a similar container. This suggests the use of incendiary projectiles, which seems quite plausible given the context. Altogether, these images suggest that fire-based weapons and simple throwing mechanisms may well have played a role in this historically significant naval battle.
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Dear Eugene,
Although there is no archaeological evidence confirming the installation of ballistae or onagers on 13th-century nefs, historical parallels suggest their presence is not entirely out of the question. In both ancient and Byzantine naval warfare, such siege engines were used on ships, and it is theoretically possible that these practices continued into the later medieval period.
I’ve experimented with placing a torsion-powered weapon in the sterncastle of the Winchelsea nef. In terms of scale and dimensions, the mechanism fits within the available space. If we estimate the weight of the projectile based on size and ship stability, it likely could not exceed 1.5–2 kg. That suggests the weapon would have launched incendiary projectiles or small stone or metal shots.
All things considered, I believe such a construction could plausibly have existed aboard a nef. Therefore, I’ll go ahead and design and build it within the next week. After that, modelers can decide for themselves whether they’d like to install it on their ship or not
Best regards,
Pavel
Although there is no archaeological evidence confirming the installation of ballistae or onagers on 13th-century nefs, historical parallels suggest their presence is not entirely out of the question. In both ancient and Byzantine naval warfare, such siege engines were used on ships, and it is theoretically possible that these practices continued into the later medieval period.
I’ve experimented with placing a torsion-powered weapon in the sterncastle of the Winchelsea nef. In terms of scale and dimensions, the mechanism fits within the available space. If we estimate the weight of the projectile based on size and ship stability, it likely could not exceed 1.5–2 kg. That suggests the weapon would have launched incendiary projectiles or small stone or metal shots.
All things considered, I believe such a construction could plausibly have existed aboard a nef. Therefore, I’ll go ahead and design and build it within the next week. After that, modelers can decide for themselves whether they’d like to install it on their ship or not
Best regards,
Pavel
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- Joined
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The armoury of Nef of Winchelsea.
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The "Nef of Winchelsea" kit is complete
