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The Galleon

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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: The Galleon
    Posted: 23-Sep-2011 at 18:13

Developed from medieval ships like the cog and carrack, the galleon could be used as a transport or a warship equipped with heavy guns like the demi-culverin. These big ships transported Indian gold from the New World to Spain and soon became part of every navy. Spain had Cacafuego and El Gran Grifon, Portugal had the San Martin, Sweden had the Vasa, and England had the Triumph and the Revenge.
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-Sep-2011 at 19:06

Vasa suffered the same fate as the Mary Rose: being equipped with too many guns it became top-heavy and sank on its maiden voyage. Due to the Baltic sea's low temperature Vasa was remarkably well-preserved. Clothing, shoes and personal belongings all survived 300 years' submersion, although Vasa's cannons were removed by Venetian divers shortly after her sinking
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-Sep-2011 at 20:18
The English were the first to use the man o'war that marked the pinnacle of the age of sail. The first of these ships were galleons that had been "race-built:" the fore and stern-castles removed to reduce the required crew and eliminate unneccessary weight.
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28-Sep-2011 at 20:11
I haven't seen me old shipmate Francis Drake for a while. I'd like to hear his thoughts on this topic
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02-Feb-2012 at 19:50

By 1700 the galleon was obsolete as faster and better armed ships of the line were introduced. One of the last galleons was Santisma Trinidad (painted above by Geoff Hunt), a Spanish merchant vessel captured by the Royal Navy in 1762 bearing treasure valued at two million dollars. The sale of the ship for scrap netted the British officers another £30000
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03-Mar-2012 at 19:14

The galleon HMS London was used to escort Charles II back to England following the Restoration. However, she was accidentally blown up in 1665 and sank in the Thames Estuary, where she was recently rediscovered by underwater archaeologists
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04-Mar-2012 at 20:35
Samuel Pepys witnessed the London's sinking. Here's his diary entry from March 8 1665
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05-Mar-2012 at 19:19
Another galleon that blew up was Kronan, flagship of the Swedish navy. Her destruction during the Scanian War was a big blow to Sweden's prestige
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-Mar-2012 at 19:35

The destruction of Kronan in the Battle of Olund. Only 50 of her 650 crew survived the explosion, caused when a lantern in the gunpowder magazine was dropped
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Mar-2012 at 19:07
Some of the artefacts found at the wreck-site:
http://www.kalmarlansmuseum.se/1/1.0.1.0/423/1/?item=art_art-s1/1646
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25-May-2012 at 20:16
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-May-2012 at 19:22
A galleon needed sufficient ballast to prevent it from capsizing. Once all the cargo had been sold, the crew would fill the hold with cheap goods like porcelain or wood for the return journey. These exotic imports became very desirable items for the elite who had furniture custom-made by craftsmen like Chippendale
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