These days, it seems like we quickly scroll through announcements about new technological developments related to space exploration (realized or planned). This leads some to wonder whether there is anything in space that justifies such huge capital and research-intensive projects. Centuries ago, similar sentiments must have been expressed about more adventurous types of voyages. New animagraph video aboveoffers a detailed look at the construction and equipping of a 16th century explorer’s sailing ship, from the keel to the fish stations.
The particular ship being disassembled in the video never actually existed, but it may look familiar, especially to those who have seen the restored ship in London. Golden Hinde, The video’s creator, Jacob O’Neill, took a lot of inspiration from the galleon that Francis Drake used to circumnavigate the globe in the 1570s, but also incorporated other features. Mary Rose, MayflowerSweden Vassaand various Spanish galleons from what is now considered “the early period of sailing, when ships began to traverse the globe rather than simply following coastlines or traversing inland waters.”
At the time, even the most advanced model of the ship could only comfortably accommodate a crew of around 80 people on a long transoceanic voyage, most of whom slept on mats, subsisted primarily on bread and beer (a gallon ration per person per day), and used simple outdoor toilets. Perhaps few would have signed up for such an endeavor without the promise of bringing back riches from distant lands. Golden Hindeby the informal piracy of Spanish galleons. In other words, here you will find a wide variety of pirate ships, the vehicles of daredevil adventure that generations of young people have dreamed of.
I myself would never dream of piracy, but I remember the excited reactions of my freshman class when they learned about the “poop deck” of a sailing ship. O’Neill doesn’t ignore that element, but he doesn’t dwell on it, as there are a lot of important details to explain and contextualize in 40 minutes. It’s important to understand how dramatically ships evolved as the Age of Sail progressed. Hit video about 18th century HMS victory Just above. The age of space exploration may not have fully begun yet, but some of us are probably already eager to embark on the modern era of space exploration. Golden Hinde For the 34-month journey to Mars.
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Based in Seoul, Colin MaOnershall Writing and broadcastingHe has written papers on cities, languages, and cultures, and his projects include the Substack newsletter. Books about cities And books A city without a state: Walking through 21st-century Los Angeles. Follow us on Twitter CollinhamOnershall or Facebook.
