| Arkhangelsk Merchant Ship |
Simultaneously with building of fighting ships Peter the Great took measures for creation of a sea transport fleet. During his second visit to Arkhangelsk in 1694 he ordered to build 'ships for sea business' (that is for trading purposes). The construction of the first merchant ship was finished in 1697. After that in the shipyard of Solombala they began to build six merchant ships at once. Probably they were done on a plan, which had been brought from Holland by the ship 'Svyatoye Prorochestvo' (St. Prophecy), and they represented a variation of a cat. The underwater part of hulls made of pinewood was pitched by 'thick tar'. Characteristic feature of Solombala's cats was a modest quarterdeck superstructure - 'kazenka', in which a skipper and his mates dwelled. Also there was a 'window for logs pulling', something like a port for receiving wood directly from the water, which was placed nearly at the level of the waterline on the left of the sternpost. For loading operations of other goods there were two large hatches on the quarterdeck and on the quarter. Heaving of anchors on Russian merchant ships were done by a very simple wooden windlass that was placed just behind the foremast. The ships had full lines of the bow, a straight (transom) stern and a proportion of the width to the length close to 4: the maximal length was 45.33 m, the width without planking was 10.74 m. The height of a board above the waterline a-midships equaled 4.72 m. Displacement of the ship reached 840 t. For defense against possible pirate's attacks there were from 8 to 37 guns of a small caliber. For these guns they cut ports with locks on iron hinges in the boards of a ship.
Click on image above to view full size. |
