An Analysis of the Reasons behind the Increase in Speed of Dutch and British Ships, 1750-1830

Author(s): Patricia H Schwindinger

Year: 2018

Summary

Previous studies indicate that there is a general increase in ship speed for both British and Dutch wooden sailing vessels during the time period 1750-1830. Using logbooks digitized by the Climatological Database of the World’s Oceans project (CLIWOC), this study seeks to identify the reasons behind this increase. The introduction of copper plating in the late 1700s had a significant effect on the speed of British ships, but historical documents reveal that copper plating was less frequently used on Dutch ships. Other possible factors affecting ship speed include periods of war and peace (and the use of convoys during war), technological improvement, and the organization of shipping by different companies on various global routes. This project is an extension of the preliminary results presented in 2015.

Cite this Record

An Analysis of the Reasons behind the Increase in Speed of Dutch and British Ships, 1750-1830. Patricia H Schwindinger. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441609)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Temporal Keywords
1750-1830

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): 1023