[Naniscegine]

Abraham Verghese is the author of Cutting for Stone, My Own Country and The Tennis Partner. more

[david345]

The wonderful detail provided of the oceans and a working ship was key to the book. Phrases like the "piping of the rigging" or "the rattle of the blocks to the gentle roll of the ship " or that she was "close hauled again on the starboard tack" were not terms I knew, but I could guess at their meaning. It wasn't necessary to know what everything meant to take that journey as a reader, no more than it is necessary to be able to name every part of a fine sports car's engine to enjoy the ride.

[jb55]

Hornblower was larger than life, took actions I'd never have dreamed about, but he worried, he had a conscience, he fell in love, he was betrayed and had betrayed in turn -- he was, in other words, so very human. Fiction, when it resonates in this fashion, is a truth-telling device -- indeed, it only works when it succeeds in doing that. here

[psyvenrix]

"To all Young Men of Spirit," he read. "Seamen, Landsmen, and Boys, who wish to strike a Blow for Freedom and to cause the Corsican Tyrant to wish that he had never dared the Wrath of these British Isles. His Majesty's Ship Sutherland of two decks and seventy four guns is at present commissioning at Plymouth, and a few Vacancies still exist to complete her Crew. Captain Horatio Hornblower in command has lately returned from a Cruize in the South Sea during which in command of the Frigate Lydia of thirty six guns, he engaged and sank the Spanish vessel Natividad of two decks and more than twice the force. The Officers, Petty Officers, and Men of the Lydia have all joined him in the Sutherland. What Heart of Oak can resist this Appeal to Join this Band of Heroes and Share with them the new Glories which await them? Who will teach Monsieur Jean Crapaud that the Seas are Britannia's where no Frog-eating Frenchman can show his Face? Who wishes for a Hatful of Golden Louis d'or for Prize money? There will be Fiddlers and Dancing every evening, and Provision at sixteen ounces to the Pound, the Best of Beef, the Best of Bread, and Grog at midday every Day of the Week and Sundays, all in addition to the Pay under the Warrant of His Most Gracious Majesty king George! In the Place where this notice is read can be found an Officer of His Majesty's Ship Sutherland who will enlist any Willing Hearts who Thirst for Glory."

[hanalin]

These ships came with a lot of features,such as long-prow bulkheads, narrow elongated hulls, and huge lateen yards. The ships also bore one aft-set mizzen mast and three lateen-pillared masts, both raked forward and having a single triangular sail. They were also known as“Zebec”, a name derived from the Arabic word for “Small Ship”. [links]

[billy3321]

This type of ship has two or masts of an equal height. The masts allowed the ship to operate in the toughest of wind conditions. The 19th Century schooner came with two or three masts, the-one at the fore being shorter than the others. The schooner “Thomas W Lawson”had seven masts, with interchangeable sails and gear.

[bg002h]

Here are the top 15 types of ships of all time.

[SteveL]

Older ships with wooden hulls would also be stripped down to reduce the stress on their ageing structure. more

[Alcoholocaust]

It was his pastime to come and while away the evenings on most days at the harbor and watch the sun go down.

[BitCoinPurse]

There's a joke that does the rounds on Twitter every so often that somewhere around 2015 or 2016 we slipped into an alternative timeline. One of the bad ones where your cuddly best mate wears an eyepatch and jackboots and everyone's suddenly got sinister facial hair. This would, in a way, be a comforting notion, except that it can easily be disproved with one simple look to the sky. If this really were a parallel world, even one of the bad ones, the sky would be filled with the silent, graceful shapes of airships gliding serenely back and forth. Nothing says 'parallel universe' like an airship. From Fringe to Doctor Who, from Wolfenstein to Bioshock Infinite, if you want people to know they're on the path not taken, bung a Zeppelin in the sky and, to be honest, you may not even need the evil goatees.

[bombus]

I've had a bit of a thing for airships since I was in my teens. I loved - and love - all airships, but it was the great steampunk contraptions of wood and cloth and wrought iron that had me most under their spell. Where the 'ship' is taken literally and a creaking old galleon is slung implausibly and enchantingly beneath bulging balloons. Games love them too - they're most associated with JRPGs, although I think it must have been in Super Mario Bros 3 that I first encountered them. But the airship that really sparked my love affair was in a much more obscure place. Does anyone remember the Fantastic Worlds expansion pack for Civilization 2? Anyone remember the airship units? I do. For some reason that unit captivated me. I loved it, in all its tiny, pixellated glory. I couldn't find a picture of it. Sorry. Take my word for it, though: that was a good airship.

[azazar]

We all know how that ended up. more

[sjalexandre]

If enough towers provided enough cables, a network could be assembled which might provide access to most of the cities for each major wind pattern.

[jumolock1976]

Is there any way this is possible, or am I going to have to think in terms of perhaps solar (convection?) propulsion or magic?

[motherhumper]

The problem is - if you're sailing in water, the water itself provides resistance, and allows you to move in a different direction to the wind. (Whilst you can't sail directly into the wind, you can sail pretty close in a modern yacht).