The discovery of the 1908 photograph, showing Cormorant
with a fixed lantern and only one other mast, has rather skewed the discussions
about sails. When she was ‘upgraded’ from the 1880 specification, who knows
what other alterations took place?
Anyway I have been playing with computer images of Cormorant 1908 and
Cormorant 1957 to make sure we are looking at the same ship. Allowing for the
fact that Cormorant 1908 is heeling slightly to port and has had her lantern
modernised, and Cormorant 1957 has a boat landing platform tacked on the stern,
the similarities are very evident when I superimpose one on the other. Luckily
the two photos were taken at roughly the same angle.
I also
compared the main and mizzen mast combination over the years – although by 1997
the main mast had been chopped off at deck level. It looks highly likely that
the original main mast (or most of it) was used throughout, with the access holes plated over as
we found very early on in this story when we examined the base of the main mast
stump.
The mizzen was probably
replaced or lengthened when the ‘hoistable’ lantern on the main was replaced by
a fixed lantern. In reply to a question
asked, I believe that ‘ball’ on the 1908 mizzen is to inform other ships that
this vessel is anchored/not under way.
One interesting
technique from the 1880 specification was rust prevention for the main steel mast.
Everything had to be “… thoroughly cleansed from rust, and in this state it is
to be thoroughly and uniformly heated, and while hot, to be coated with boiled
linseed oil, and after it has cooled and the coat hardened, it is to be painted
two good coats in pure red lead paint.”
Quite a task with a 70ft mast!
David
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