Eleventh Century Ships

I've got cogs in my book in the fourteenth century in England. At the start of the 100 years war they were used with castles erected fore and aft and a crows nest attached to the top of the single mast. The sail was square. The mediterranean cogs of this time had a forecastle and raised stern, I believe.

Ships changed quite a bit between the 11th century and the 14th. In 11th century England, you might come across hulks (banana shaped, lacking a keel, using a sail) and early cogs (flat-bottomed, tubby, used a sail, had a side-oar for steering), a keel (which is like a classic Viking ship with a keel), a knarr (something like the keel). Longships were used primarily for fighting, not cargo. Where are they going? Those would all be plausible for the North Sea. If they are heading south, other possibilities, like the barca, come into play. Ships in the Mediterranean were very different again (naves: lateen-rigged round ships with two masts, and galleys: lateen-rigged masts and two banks of oarsmen).

You might try Lewis and Runyan European Naval and Maritime History, 300-1500. Richard Unger has some useful books too. I've got lots of sea travel in my next novel, so I've been reading up!

(P.S. I just checked on *gasp* Wikipedia, and their entry on medieval ships has some images of reconstructions, which might be useful)

I'd imagine the type of ship would be heavily dependent on where in Europe you're talking about. Merchant vessels in the Mediterranean would be facing vastly different conditions than those plying the English Channel, etc.

I'd imagine there should be at least some info out there on the type of ships commonly in use at the time. After all, there were numerous invasions and conquests in the 11th century - the Norman conquests of England and Sicily, the First Crusade, etc - that required waterborne transportation.

Thanks for the link, Waylander. I can use that one.

Want a laugh? Check this out: http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s1i37711 Found it while researching Roman ships.

Sigh!

And if you'd looked in Resources by Era you'd have seen a very good set of websites and book resources including this one I have in my reference library. Frankly books beat the web any day!

'The History of Ships' by by Björn Landström which is probably the best for detailed drawings.

Okay.

When you enter the historical writing board there are a long list of topics.

If you look at the top you will see an announcement and then a list of 4 things called Sticky - and a name.

The fourth one down is Sticky - Resources by Era.

That's where I put all the useful resources people give me or I've found. It's usually checked and updated by me weekly. Go to the bottom of that list to find a heading: Sailing Ships.

I've often wondered...

about that. Perhaps it's a weird Americanism for those little notes you stick to a document to say 'N.B.'?

Here it means it is a permanent thread which always stays at the top of the board.

Sticky = it stays where it is

The adriatic? Odds are the ships came from Ragusa or more likely Venice, I'd look at their ships...Although, to be perfectly honest, the typical procedure at that time was to rent/commandeer anything that could float.