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Historical Timeline of Sailing Ships
STAR CLIPPERS
Historical Timeline of Sailing Ships The three vessels that make up the Star Clippers fleet offer
featured a single mast with a square sail, which powered the
a nod to a bygone era of traditional tall ship sailing. Sailing
ship alongside a series of oars. The only problem with using
on board the Star Clipper, Star Flyer or the magnificent
these types of wood is that only short lengths could be cut.
Royal Clipper, you will be able to enjoy this traditional style
From 2900BC, cedar wood was used, from which longer
of sailing whilst visiting hidden coves, tranquil islands, and
planks could be sawn.
paradise beaches. While these ships offer an insight into a historical era of trade routes and exploration, the origins of
Ancient Greece
the traditional sailing vessels extends over many thousands
By 480BC, it was established that wind sails were the best way
of years. This week, we take a closer look at the origins of
to power ships. However, the Greeks decided to enhance their
traditional sailing vessels and how these have evolved into the
war efforts by using oars, which gave them an edge in terms
clipper ships we know today.
of manoeuvrability and speed. These ships were rowed by three banks of oarsmen and helped steer Greek triremes to
Origins
victory over the mighty Persian fleet.
Travel back thousands of years to a period where there were no main roads and the efficiency of travelling by water soon
Vikings
becomes clear. The very first forms of ‘boat’ to be used were
The Viking longship is one of the most iconic sailing vessels
most likely nothing more than logs, which were either tied
in maritime history. Built using overlapping planks (clinker-
together to form a raft or hollowed out to make canoes. These
built) which were riveted to frames, these vessels were
logs were then propelled either by simple paddles or poles,
resilient and flexible enough to endure long journeys from
which could be pushed into the river bed.
Scandinavia to the coasts of Britain, France and Spain. By 1000AD, they were enhanced with wide hulls and managed to
Ancient Egypt
reach Iceland, Greenland and North America.
The Ancient Egyptians are thought to have introduced one of the first types of sailing vessel back in 3400BC. These
Europeans
ships were made of wood from acacia or sycamore trees and
The Europeans were inspired by the clinker-built Viking
vessels and decided to apply this technique to their own
Spanish Galleon
ships for several centuries. In the thirteenth century, cog
In the 16th century, Spain needed a new type of ship to assist
ships followed the clinker-built procedure but featured raised
in bringing back gold and other treasures from America. A
platforms at either end to provide vantage points from which
new ship – which combined the factors of speed, size and
archers could shoot arrows. The clinker-built approach was
strength of predecessors – was introduced around the time of
adapted during the construction of Carrack ships, which
the Spanish war against the English fleet. The sails on galleon
required larger hulls. The carvel method of shipbuilding
vessels were huge and had to be let down or pulled up by
saw planks fitted edge-to-edge onto a frame and resulted in
sailors using heavy ropes.
vessels being able to carry more cargo. Royal Clipper Chinese Junk
Lasting from the 16th to the mid-19th century, the Age of
Chinese Junk sailing ships date back to the 2nd century AD,
Sail saw a series of explorers reach the far corners of the
although they are still used by some fishermen to this day.
earth to discover new lands and establish trade routes. Ships
Between 1405 and 1433, a fleet of junks made a series of
were continually enhanced in terms of efficiency and speed
expeditions across the Indian Ocean from China under the
and, 150 years ago, the clipper ship was born. Clipper ships
guidance of Zheng He, a trusted servant of the Ming emperor
reached their peak upon the introduction of barques – which
of China. The largest of these junks ships featured nine masts
were high-capacity, multi-masted sailing ships. The Royal
and measured 150 metres in length. They were strengthened
Clipper is a five-masted barque and is the largest ship of its
by wall-like partitions called bulkheads and the sails were
kind to be built for 100 years.
stiffened by bamboo poles.
STAR CLIPPERS