How many sailors are there in a ship of the line?

Through the 17th century, the ship of the line acquired its definitive shape by settling on three masts and losing the ungainly superstructure aft. Lengths of 200 feet (60 metres) became common for such ships, which displaced 1,200 to 2,000 tons and had crews of 600 to 800 men.

How big were British ships in the 1700s?

Captured enemy frigates were also used in service, and many of the best British-built ships were copied or adapted from French designs. Their tonnage ranged from 700 to 1450 tons, with crews of about 300 men.

How large was a ship of the line?

The 76.15 m × 21.22 m (249.8 ft × 69.6 ft) ship of the line was armed with 128 cannons on three decks and was manned by 1,280 sailors.

How many people did it take to sail a ship?

A good-sized ship could carry five whaleboats and employ a crew of about 36 men, staying out for 3 or 4 years if necessary. A two-masted vessel usually having square sails on both masts and a for-and-aft sail on the rear mast. Brigs carried, on average, three whaleboats and employed a crew of about 22 men.

How big is a first rate ship of the line?

Originating in the Jacobean era with the designation of Ships Royal capable of carrying at least 400 men, the size and establishment of first-rates evolved over the following 250 years to eventually denote ships of the line carrying at least 80 guns across three gundecks.

How big is a ship crew?

Crew Size. These ships can fit much larger crew sizes, but the crew tends to be composed of no more than about 20-30 people. There are usually 6-14 main officers responsible for overseeing each deck, maintaining safety systems, and keeping the ship going.

What is the process of Navy ship design?

Navy ship design is a complex process for a complex product used for National defense. A single ship design is passed hundreds of times through hundreds of people from the first notion of a concept through to construction and sea trials . This document provides a simple introduction to this intricate process.

How big were the ships in the age of exploration?

For more details see our historical page . Carracks for exploration like the Santa Maria or de Gama’s San Gabriel were small, about 90 tons; but merchant ships would average 250-500 tons with a crew of 40-80 and some war ships went up to 1000 tons. The average speed was about 80 miles/day and the trip to India took 6 to 8 months each way.

What is the impact of superstructure size on a ship?

Another aspect of superstructure size is its impact on deck space and deck working space. If the superstructure gets too large, the available horizontal deck space for mounting guns, boat cranes and storage, underway replenishment equipment, etc. becomes very limited.

How did ships handle large loads in the 1300s?

In the 1300s, larger loads for war and commerce were handled by Cogs . In the north, the rudder had replaced the side oar for steering. In the Mediterranean, lateen sails working as windfoils allowed sailing upwind.