This is the initial result of my latest drawing project. I drew the original, as I have said, at 20 feet to the inch scale. I had to scan the drawing in two pieces, and then assemble them in the digital realm. After that, I did my other digital editing. Part of that was to add my gunport drawings. The rest was to do the head, taffrail, gallery, and lamps.
The Speaker was built, in 1650, at Woolwich Dockyard. Her builder was Christoper Pett. He built well, because the Speaker survived into the Restoration period and beyond. In 1660, she was renamed Mary.
The dimensions, as built were:
Length on the gundeck: 143 feet-3 inches
Length on the keel: 116 feet
Beam outside of the planking: 34 feet-4 inches
Depth in the hold: 14 feet-6 inches
Burden: 727 tons
The Mary was finally lost during the Great Storm, in 1703.
The Great Storm is of interest, as this was towards the end of a series of horrific winter storms caused by "Global Cooling". The first of these storms with which I am familiar was that which wrecked almost half of the Spanish Armada in August of 1588.
