A Comparative Study of Dutch and British Ship Speeds from 1750-1850
Author(s): Patricia Schwindinger
Year: 2015
Summary
The paper compares the relative speeds of British and Dutch vessels from 1750 to 1850, using data from the CLIWOC (Climatological Database of the World’s Oceans) database. Originally compiled to extend the available information on weather patterns back into the ‘pre-instrument’ period, the database also includes information on the ships that recorded the data. Average daily speeds and maximum recorded speeds were analyzed for 250 unique Dutch ships and 485 unique British ships in order to identify for trends over time and to compare the two nationalities. A steady improvement in ship design was evident throughout the period, with a sharp increase in speed visible in British ships after the introduction of copper plating in 1780. Dutch East India Company (VOC) ships showed less improvement prior to 1800 as the Company failed, but the gap between nationalities was closed after 1800.
Cite this Record
A Comparative Study of Dutch and British Ship Speeds from 1750-1850. Patricia Schwindinger. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Seattle, Washington. 2015 ( tDAR id: 434182)
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Keywords
General
Logbooks
•
Shipbuilding
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Speed
Geographic Keywords
North America
•
United States of America
Temporal Keywords
1750-1850
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 146