Sea Castles – Spanish Galleons
This Spanish Galleon Model Just Arrived
This beautiful model from a local estate just arrived this past week at Bahoukas. It’s an 18 gun, 3 masts with 15 sails.
Construction
Galleons were constructed from oak (for the keel), pine (for the masts) and various hardwoods for hull and decking. Hulls were usually carvel-built. The expenses involved in galleon construction were enormous. Hundreds of expert tradesmen (including carpenters, pitch-melters, blacksmiths, coopers, shipwrights, etc.) worked day and night for months before a galleon was seaworthy. To cover the expense, galleons were often funded by groups of wealthy businessmen who pooled resources for a new ship. Therefore, most galleons were originally consigned for trade, although those captured by rival states were usually put into military service.The most common gun used aboard a galleon was the demi-culverin, although gun sizes up to demi-cannon were possible.
Because of the long periods often spent at sea and poor conditions on board, many of the crew often perished during the voyage; therefore advanced rigging systems were developed so that the vessel could be sailed home by an active sailing crew a fraction of the size aboard at departure. …From Wikipedia
This model is 51 inches long, 41 inches tall, and 8 inches wide. All wood. An absolutely exquisite model. We do not know who built her, but she’s a beauty!
The most distinguishing features of the galleon include the long prominent beak or beakhead followed by a fore-mast and main-mast, both noticeably taller than the single or double lateen-rigged mizzenmasts with their sloped lateen-rig yards, and below those the square Quarter gallery at the stern. On average with three masts, in larger galleons, a fourth mast was added, usually another lateen-rigged mizzen, called the bonaventure mizzen. …From Wikipedia
Here’s a wee bit closer view. She presently sits in our front window. Stop by and check her out. When the called Spanish Galleons – “Sea Castles” – it’s easy to understand when you see this model. Click this link for a little more history from Pirates & Privateers blog.
Of course, always amazing ‘finds’ at Bahoukas Antique Mall in Havre de Grace!
