Names Painted on Ships?

AZ_Dawn · Jun 2, 2008

Did ships in the early 17th-late 18th Centuries have their names painted on them? Because while the name I have for my pirate ship is perfectly appropriate for a cheesy story, it may be too blatant to paint on the side. :e2steer:

Thanks!

slcboston · Jun 2, 2008

I'm fairly certain the names of ships were frequently painted on the stern of the ship.

Though I'm not a scholar, just a fan of nautical movies.

So even if they weren't, the general public might not be any the wiser.

alleycat · Jun 2, 2008

Going by memory of real ships of that era, I think they generally put the name on the stern of the ships and not the sides. I could very well be wrong.

donroc · Jun 2, 2008

Didn't Henry VIII name a ship Mary Rose?

dpaterso · Jun 2, 2008

Ship names were usually painted (or a carved/painted plaque mounted) on the stern, tho' some also had their names visible on their bows (both sides).

Take a peek at this entry for HMS Victory, scroll down to the bottom of the page for a view of her stern:
http://www.stvincent.ac.uk/Heritage/1797/Victory/index2.html

-Derek

pdr · Jun 2, 2008

If you look...

in Resources by Era stickied up top, you'll find the British Maritime museum url. Go and look at all the pictures!

But stern it usually was.

AZ_Dawn · Jun 4, 2008

Thanks, guys! So the concensus is the name's on the stern. I guess that means it hardly matters how blatant the name is; their victims won't see it til they leave.

donroc · Jun 4, 2008

Sort of a mooned stern.

Names Painted on Ships?

AZ_Dawn

AW Addict

slcboston

Pasture-ized

alleycat

Still around

donroc

Historicals and Horror rule

dpaterso

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pdr

AZ_Dawn

AW Addict

donroc

Historicals and Horror rule