The first information on the technique and the materials used for manufacturing ships usually comes from Egyptians. They for the first time tried and succeeded in building a ship of papyrus. They used ropes for binding them together. Papyrus is a material extracted from the pith of papyrus plant, scientifically called cyperus papyrus. These trees were once aplenty in the Nile Delta of Egypt.
Considering their success in building ships, the Egyptians later on tried to improve them with some other materials. They made an attempt to make a ship out of wood. But failure to find a suitable tree trunk, dissuaded the Egyptians from building such a large type of ship for the time being. However their curiosity compelled them to make progress building ships.
Later on, the civilizations in the Mediterranean give us a lot of information about ship building history. During those times large merchant ships had been constructed with a solid body. Fast-running ships driven by oar changed the ship building industries into a large scale use.
The Roman people further changed the face of shipping industry by making some more improvements. However, the ships they made found no use in sailing through Northern European coasts. These limitations made Scandinavians develop a new technique to make defect-free large ships. Those ships made by the Scandinavians were better for sailing through any seas without many hardships. The only fault was that they could not carry large quantities of cargo, so the purpose of the ships for trading was not attractive. Ships at that time were broad and shallow, they had double ends.
During the Middle Ages, several changes were made in the ship industry. Interest of people at that time in trading and voyaging had made the makers of tall ships more curious to build ships with extra facilities. These further boosted the trading areas to other islands and nations. During the Middle Ages, ships were usually short and circular. These ships, after incorporating several improvements in their structure, tried to trade with other continents, and prepared for long voyages. Voyages made during this period led to the overall development of the ship industry.
During this time the purpose of ship sailing was not confined to trade and voyaging, but to conquer other countries. The most advanced ships were made to attack enemy ships and other nations.
The use of ships gradually made way for a large scale building of very tall ships. Several laws were added to make travel and trade with other nations more comfortable. The sailing ability of large ships increased by making improvement in their tonnage. The length, breadth and weight of ships, thus, took a different look. It provided maximum facilities to those who liked to travel enjoying the beauty of the ocean.
Eighteenth and Nineteenth century proved that the shipping industry was an indispensable part of human life. These caused a large boom in the facilities inside the ships. If the ships you would like to travel look like castles and if you fail to believe your eyes, the real reason behind it is the papyrus tree.
With estimated losses in the range of US$13-16 billion per year, pirate attacks have been rapidly increasing in frequency. Levels of violence and use of heavy weapons by pirates have also been rising at alarming rates, which unfortunately also means more hostages are being killed as a result of attacks. It’s only in more recent times that international anti-piracy forces have formed and have begun to take the threat very seriously.
In an effort to step up anti-piracy efforts, and Edina, Minnesota company called ReconRobotics, Inc. has signed an agreement with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC) Pacific, to develop a pirate-hunting, marine version of their already successful Recon Scout reconnaissance robot.
The Recon Scout is already being used in law enforcement and disaster response as an extremely lightweight (1.2 pounds), 2-wheeled mini-robot with advanced video surveillance capabilities, including infrared night vision. Resembling a dumb-bell on a leash, the Recon Scout can survive being thrown up to 120 feet, or even more impressively, dropped from an aerial drone.
With the new maritime version being developed, crews wont even have to bother throwing it onto a ship. Magnetic wheels will allow this pirate hunting version of the Recon Scout to easily climb up and over the side of a ship to provide real time information to anti-piracy forces. “We believe that this micro-robot platform could help mitigate maritime piracy threats and protect the lives of naval personnel and anti-piracy teams,” said Alan Bignall, President and CEO of ReconRobotics.
While getting real-time intelligence from the deck of a ship full of pirates is great, the Recon Scout, with its magnetic wheels, should be able to navigate below-decks and even down stairs. Having a tool that may even be able to provide specific locations on both pirates and crew is of extremely high value to anti-piracy forces, and makes rescue scenarios all the more feasible.
The key to deploying such a robot, specifically in a hostage situation is stealth. If the pirates see a drone drop a robot onto the ship it could potentially jeopardize negotiations, not to mention the likelihood of the pirates finding it and simply tossing it overboard. To address the need for a stealthy insertion, the (SSC) Pacific and ReconRobotics will be building a deployment system specifically designed to help get the Recon Scout aboard the vessel undetected.
Their new launch platform which they refer to as the “marsupial robot deployment system”, provides a way to get the Recon Scout into hostile or dangerous environments. While vague on the specifics regarding the deployment system, they do describe it as a system allowing a larger robot to deploy a smaller robot downrange.
Alan Bignall, President and CEO of ReconRobotics is quoted as saying “We hope to collaborate with SSC Pacific within the mandates of our CRADA to further develop this robot and quickly bring it and the marsupial robot deployment system to market. In the future this system might also include other payloads and sensors which would increase its versatility and expand its mission profile.”
The square rigged, 181 foot “Fryderyk Chopin”, named after Poland’s famous composer, requested coastguard assistance at approximately 0800 BST on October 29, 2010. The Polish registered training vessel was about 100 miles southwest of the Isles of Scilly, in gale-force winds, when her first mast was snapped by what the ship’s master described as a ‘freak gust’. Several hours later, the second mast broke due to the increased strain.
The MSC Nerissa, a Panamanian flagged container ship, was the first to respond to Fryderyk Chopin’s distress call. The Nerissa served as a windbreak until more direct assistance arrived. An unspecified bulk carrier and a lifeboat from The Isles of Scilly also offered assistance while the Nova Spirro, a large fishing boat from Newlyn, Cornwall, UK began towing the Chopin to shore. The towing operation was later taken over by a salvage tug from Alderny. Although the Fryderyk Chopin does have an engine, the captain was hesitant to use it for fear of the loose rigging getting tangled in the screw.
After reaching safe harbor in Falmouth Bay, the Fryderyck Chopin was later towed to Plymouth for repairs. No injuries were reported among the Chopin’s crew of forty-seven; 36 of which were trainees (all fourteen years of age). Helen Hudson, southwest coastal safety manager for Maritime and Coastguard Agency, stated that the incident was more of a salvage operation than a rescue as there was no immediate danger.
The Fryderyck Chopin was designed by Zygmunt Choren and built in the Dora Shipyard of Gdansk, Poland. Launched in 1992, she was originally chartered by West Island College in Nova Scotia for a year. The Chopin is currently home-ported in Szczecin, Poland and operated by the European School of Law and Administration, a private university in Poland. It was on a three and a half month cruise from the Netherlands to the Caribbean when the masts were broken off.
The young crew of Jolie Brise, the 17m long pilot cutter owned and operated by Dauntsey’s School, are having to endure towering waves and strong winds as they cross the Atlantic from Halifax to Belfast as part of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge. On board with skipper Toby Marris and First Mate Adam Seager are eight current or former Dauntsey School pupils aged between 16 and 18.
The vessel has taken part in all legs of the Atlantic Challenge since it started in Vigo, Spain in May this year. Jolie Brise won the first Atlantic crossing from Tenerife to Bermuda and is looking strong on the crossing back to Belfast.
Currently Jolie Brise is lying fourth overall and second in Class and on the current weather predictions, she should be crossing the finish line, north of Tory Island, off the north coast of Donegal, on the 10th of August. All the fleet are due into Belfast by 13 August for the final four days of the event.
“This voyage has been all about team work and perseverance,” says skipper Toby Marris from on board Jolie Brise, currently just under 1000 nautical miles west of Ireland. “The young crew on board are having an experience that it would take a life-time to repeat but moral is very high. The team of boys and girls from Dauntseys School are enjoying the hard sailing and their sense of humour is ever ready even when the waves are breaking overhead. They want to do well in the race, but the main motivation is to get to Ireland and Belfast as fast as possible to enjoy the legendary Irish hospitality. We have some more tough weather to get through before we cross the finish line and get to enjoy a pint of the Black Stuff as our reward.”
Built in 1913, Jolie Brise was the winner of the first ever Fastnet Race in 1925, repeating this achievement in 1929 and 1930 and is still the only vessel to have won the race three times. She is a frequent competitor in the annual Tall Ships’ Races, frequently winning overall and in class.
The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge is organised by Sail Training International. The fleet are due into the final port of Belfast on 13 August 2009.
A fleet of Tall Ships have just raced across the Atlantic to Bermuda and are now berthed alongside in Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda, to celebrate the island’s 400th anniversary of settlement. The fleet of 23 Tall Ships with some 1200 crew members are enjoying the warm Bermudian hospitality before embarking on the third race of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge series to Charleston, USA, 800 miles away. The transatlantic race, which took the fleet from Tenerife to Bermuda, had to be called short because of the lack of wind, but the challenge and personal achievement for all those on board the ships, many of whom were young people under 25 years old, cannot be diminished. The fleet ranged from the 115m Russian Tall Ship Kruzenshtern, one of the biggest Tall Ships sailing today, to the 13m yacht Xsaar from Belgium. Also taking part were ships from Romania, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Bermuda and the UK, including Rona II and Jolie Brise, two UK vessels that were crewed by young people all under 25 years old. “The arrival of the Tall Ships fleet has been eagerly awaited by the people of Bermuda and the excitement has been building,” says John Wadson, Chairman, Tall Ships Bermuda Limited. “Ever since they were last here in 2000 to celebrate the millennium, we have been planning for their return and they are certainly one of the highlights of our 400th anniversary celebrations. It’s a real honour to have our own sail training vessel, the Spirit of Bermuda, participating in an international Tall Ships race for the first time,” he added. Space Link In a unique and historic link-up, a number of the young crew members who had just crossed the Atlantic together with some school children from Bermuda, talked to astronauts on the International Space Station in a live telephone conversation. The ten minute live link up took place in the presence of the Bermudian Minister of Education, the Hon El James, JP, MP and the Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Commerce, Hon Terry E Lister, JP, MP.
During the short window of opportunity when the International Space Station was directly above Bermuda, the crew members wished the Russian astronauts happy Russian National Day and the astronauts in turn congratulated Bermuda on their 400th anniversary. The three astronauts that took part in the telephone conversation, Russian Commander Gennadiy Padalka, Roman Romanenko and American Mike Barrett, then answered questions from the young people who were excited to talk directly to the astronauts as they passed overhead.
The questions asked ranged from the astronauts living conditions and leisure activities to muscle wastage and how they managed to wash. The astronauts answered the questions in good humour, explaining that while they had not managed to see the Tall Ships fleet as they crossed the Atlantic, they frequently looked down on Bermuda and enjoyed watching the tiny island in the Atlantic.
The astronauts explained that they were unable to surf the internet so communication with earth was not easy, but they did have an ability to send and receive messages through a mailbox system so could keep in contact with their families over the six month period they are in space.
One young Bermudian wanted to know what advice the astronauts had for the young people of the world. Commander Padalka replied that it was important to study hard, work hard and most importantly of all, to follow your dreams.
A Russian cadet from Kruzenshtern commented that on board ship it was not recommended to drink alcohol as this could have unfortunate repercussions so he wanted to know if there was anything that was best to avoid on the Space Station. The Russian Commander replied that in his opinion the worst thing that could happen for them was to stop moving because if that happened, the Space Station would fall to earth!
The direct link was the brainchild of the Russian Youth Aerospace Society “VAKO Soyuz”, which was created in 1988 to develop and implement national youth education aerospace programmes with the aim of increasing knowledge in the field of technical and human sciences, for peaceful space exploration and exploitation. Instrumental in the organisation of the link was space engineer Nathalie Pottier, a graduate of the Moscow Aviation Institute who has worked with the International Space Station and Launchers projects in Russia, United States, Netherlands, and France.
A short film of the astronauts sending greetings to the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge fleet can be seen:
The Tall Ships fleet will remain in Bermuda until Monday when they will take part in what promises to be a spectacular Parade of Sail around the island before departing in the race to Charleston, South Carolina. From there the ships will continue up the eastern United States to Boston and then on to Halifax in Canada, where a final race will bring the fleet back across the Atlantic to Belfast, where they are due for a final four days of festivities from 13 to 16 August.
The event, the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge, organised by Sail Training International, has been timed to coincide with Bermuda’s 400th anniversary celebrations and the fleet’s presence is forming part of the highlight of the year-long celebrations.
Ends
For further information and images, please contact Corinne Hiching, email: Corinne.hitching@sailtraininginternational.org, tel: +44 77641 83866.
Media & Publications Manager
Sail Training International
Direct tel: +44 1730 810437
Office tel: +44 2392 586367
Mobile: +44 7764 183866
Being on land for any length of time clearly doesn’t agree with single handed round the world sailor Dee Caffari. This Saturday 4 April she is going off-shore again, this time to hold a party for her 200 strong team at Spitbank Fort, the Victorian folly, one mile into the middle of the Solent.
Spitbank Fort is no ordinary party venue and clearly Dee wanted to get back to where she is most comfortable – with the view of the sea all around her. It is one of the UK’s most fascinating maritime treasures with a wealth of history and character. Currently a museum, the Fort is available to hire as a party venue and is no stranger to hosting celebrities having seen Davina McCall there last year to celebrate her father Andrew’s 65th birthday.
The awe-inspiring construction of granite and iron was commissioned by Lord Palmerston, and completed in 1878. It was originally equipped with a variety of armaments to defend Portsmouth Harbour from invading vessels that had managed to break through outer defences in the Channel. After twenty years, the role of the fort was changed to counter light aircraft instead of heavy warships with guns being fitted on its roof and searchlights installed to aid visibility after dark. Though always equipped for high level defence, Spitbank Fort never fired a single shot in anger.
Nowadays it’s the sound of laughter that can be heard as parties of up to 500 people can be catered for and accommodation is available for those that want to make a night of it. It’s also holds very popular Sunday lunches with a fully licensed bar and kitchen that can cater for any occasion. Fresh water is not a problem for the Fort. Through a 400ft well that goes down through the channel into the chalk aquifer, beautiful clear, fresh water is always on tap.
Getting enough fresh air is often a problem for guests and delegates at parties and events, but at the Fort you are never very far from some stunning views and refreshing air.
No doubt Dee won’t have any trouble navigating to the Fort but for the rest of us, ferries are available.
For further information on hiring the Fort for your party or business venue, visit the website: spitbankfort.co.uk, email info@spitbankfort.co.uk or telephone 01329 242077.
Defying Empire: Trading with the Enemy in Colonial New York uncovers the story of New York City merchants engaged in a forbidden trade with the enemy before and during the Seven Years’ War (also known as the French and Indian War). Ignoring British prohibitions designed to end North America’s wartime trade with the French, New York’s merchant elite conducted a thriving business in the French West Indies, insisting that their behavior was protected by long practice and British commercial law. But the government in London viewed it as treachery, and its subsequent efforts to discipline North American commerce inflamed the colonists. Through fast-moving events and unforgettable characters, historian Thomas M. Truxes brings eighteenth-century New York and the Atlantic world to life. There are spies, street riots, exotic settings, informers, courtroom dramas, interdictions on the high seas, ruthless businessmen, political intrigues, and more. The author traces each phase of the city’s trade with the enemy and details the frustrations that affected both British officials and independent-minded New Yorkers. The first book to focus on New York City during the Seven Years’ War, “Defying Empire” reveals the important role the city played in hastening the colonies’ march toward revolution. http://defyingempire.com/
“Defying Empire is one of the most remarkable books I’ve read in years. The story of how New York’s merchants traded with the French during the Seven Years War is revelatory. It depicts a degree of alienation or indifference or both to demands for imperial loyalty that foreshadows the coming American Revolution. It is also a riveting drama in and of itself.” Thomas Fleming, author of The Perils of Peace: America’s Struggle to Survive After Yorktown
During it’s 80th Training Cruise “Juan Sebastián de Elcano” will make port calls in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Fortaleza (Brasil), Puerto España (Trinidad & Tobago), San Juan de Puerto Rico (USA), Galveston (USA), Cartagena de Indias (Colombia), La Habana (Cuba), Veracruz (Mexico), Pensacola (EE.UU.), Hamilton (Bermudas-G.B.), and will round up her voyage in the spanish port of Marín.
The official opening ceremony for The Tall Ships’ Races in Bergen took place last night at 1900 hrs on top of the tower at the Hotel Havnekontoret, which overlooks the harbour. Proceedings were started by a stirring song from local singer, Sigurd Sele, who is about to star in the production of Les Miserables in Bergen. Chief Commissioner of the City, Monica Mæland, then welcomed The Tall Ships’ Races fleet to the city and wished them all an enjoyable time while in the city.
Chairman of The Tall Ships’ Races 2008, Knut Western, then outlined to the watching crowds just what the event is about and how they had the ability to change lives through the experience of going to sea. He hoped many more people in Bergen would have the opportunity to sail on one of the ships in future races.
Crew from Statsraad Lehmkuhl, Bergen’s own Tall Ship, then sang shanty songs from along the yards. As the ship was berthed close to the tower, the crews’ voices sang out across the area, much to the delight of the crowd. Sigurd Sele then sang the Bergen anthem with many of the crowd joining in.
The captains of The Tall Ships’ Races fleet then walked the short distance to the Bergenhus Fortress where they were entained to a lavish dinner in the Hakonshall, a medieval hall with a high ceiling which was lit by candlelight. Bergen Mayor Gunnar Bakke, who hosted the dinner, welcomed the captains and said it was their pleasure to entertain them and hoped they would all return soon. Capitan Mario Carbajal Ramirez, captain of Cuauhtemoc thanked the city on behalf of the ships saying how honoured they were to be so warmly welcomed to the city.
Entertainment was provided by a sole drummer, whose sound reverberated around the hall, and a singer who sang two songs in a beautifully clear voice that was appreciated by everyone.
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