The Good Ship

The Middle Ages were a time of great innovation in shipbuilding, yet medieval maritime technology is often overlooked. This book traces the developments in rigging and shipbuilding in northern Europe over the medieval period: the adoption of the lateen rig with two or more masts, and the change from clinker to carvel (skeleton) construction. The way in which ships were built are studied, also the materials used and the economic and social factors which influenced shipbuilding. The use (or not) of purpose-built shipyards, and what is known of the craftsmen who constructed them is examined. Who were they? What was their guild structure? What tools did they use, and how did knowledge of the new techniques spread among them? Of interest to ship buffs, students of medieval England and anyone with an interest in the social and economic history of the Middle Ages, this book is illustrated throughout with medieval manuscript illuminations, seals, tapestries and carvings, and with modern diagrams, drawings and photographs of ship remains.