Quote:
Originally Posted by swaghauler
The weight limits I posted were for "old school" black powder cannons and newer reproductions that could be lifted from museums or collectors and mounted on the decks EXACTLY like they were in the age of sail...on free rolling carriages that were restrained by rope "recoil arrest" & "run out" assemblies. Because these guns can "roll back" upon recoil, they WOULD NOT transfer that recoil into the deck plates (as demonstrated by the very small ships mounting such guns during the Age of Sail). Let's take the Brigg Niagara (which WallShadow and I were discussing at the time) as a "for instance..."
She is 110 feet long and mounts 18 32 pounder Carronades (at 900kg each) and 2 12 pounders (at 1500kg each) with NO DIFFICULTY in handling recoil.
The ship is no more heavily built than say, PlayStation II (a 125ft modern Catamaran) in its deck area. PlayStation II would have NO DIFFICULTY mounting Niagara's weapons fit on her decks.
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Incorrect. Age of Sail warships (actually, until the mid 1840s any ship, as most ships heading for international waters were built to be equipped with some armament) were designed to be equipped decks were reinforced with scantlings and knees preciesly to support the down thrust from cannon recoil - several hundred pounds moving rapidly and absolutley some of it is pushing down.
Modern sailing vessels, especially pleasure craft are absolutely NOT made to support that kind of peak pressure on a deck. Neither are their sides built with the kind (and frequency) of ribs for breach lines to anchor from; something like a 4-lbr cannon (much less a 6, 12 or 24-lbr) would tear the cleats or eyes out of the vessel when fired.
Uncle Ted