I would think that repairing a mast would be a MAJOR undertaking at sea even during a calm period.
How about repairing a mast during battle?
Was it done without sailing out of harms way?:question:
Would really like to know.
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I would think that repairing a mast would be a MAJOR undertaking at sea even during a calm period.
How about repairing a mast during battle?
Was it done without sailing out of harms way?:question:
Would really like to know.
My bet is, not in battle--such an undertaking would require a crane or sheer hulk or at least another ship alongside, and all available manpower. You're basically talking about, assuming this discussion is the mast itself not the spars it supports, trying to hoist a tree trunk to vertical by force of human muscle alone as I understand it, so... A busted mast would probably be deferred until the far more pressing matters at hand like fire, flooding, fighting had been addressed to completion.
If the fictional accounts are realistic, then all that happened during combat was to try to cut the broken mast free so that it went overboard and did not drag the ship around. Repairs waited until the combat was finished because spare spars had to be brought up from below decks.
My money is on DB & David.
The best that could be done before reaching port is to cut away the damage and fight or surrender. I doubt if you can out run anyone with a lost mast.
I would agree with everyones assesment.
I just posed the question since there is an action for repairing a broken mast, which just struck me as out of context with what would be possible during battle.
I think what that action would represent is repairing a spar rather than a mast. Still not real likely, but at least that could be done underway... though STILL not something you do while in battle, unless you move out of range long enough to get it done, which could be several hours.
Remember the Three F's: "Fire, Flooding, Fighting - All Else Later". :) Complicated individual tasks, but a simple mindset and priority list governing them.
My three F's are somewhat different (and unprintable), though all the same word, and would be applied to all of the above named situations.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diamondback
LOL True... but if the ship burns EVERYONE drowns, if the ship floods everyone drowns. Everyone runs TO the fire at sea because that's your only refuge and you either get it put out or get REAL good at long-distance swimming... similar with manning the pumps and getting flooding under control.
A captain's question to himself and his men would typically be along the lines of "what's the MOST immediate threat to the ship staying afloat? Whatever it is, we focus on that and give the others just enough resources to buy time, then we gradually knock off the rest as we can. Better afloat and needing a tow home than fully sparred on the bottom of the ocean or having those nasty Frogs coming over the gunwales..."