THE TRAFALGAR SAIL - a legacy of the Battle

Referred to as The Trafalgar Sail, HMS Victory’s foretopsail (the second largest on the ship’s 37 sails) is the largest single surviving object from the Battle of Trafalgar (apart from the ship itself). It reveals the 90 shot holes it suffered on 21^st October, 1805.

Though Victory was launched in 1765, the sail was only two years old, having been made at Chatham in 1803. It would have taken around 1,200 man-hours for the sailmakers to stitch it. Measuring the size of a tennis court (80ft at its base, 54ft at its head and 54ft deep), it weighs a third of a ton.

 

Following the immense damage the ship sustained at the Battle of Trafalgar, HMS Victory was towed into Gibraltar for temporary repairs. After a week, she was returned to Portsmouth and later to the Chatham Dockyard for a complete refit. Here, the sail remained and was displayed at the yard for almost a century before being returned to the ship in 1905.

After becoming lost for three decades, the dilapidated sail was re-discovered in 1962 in a naval gymnasium hidden beneath a pile of mats. It was returned to Victory but signs of deterioration were evident and a decision to preserve it was made. Conservation began in 1993, a process which took twelve years.

Today, The Trafalgar Sail is on display to the public under environmentally-controlled conditions in Storehouse 10 at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. It is regarded as Britain’s most important marine historic textile.

HMS Victory continues to be flagship of the Second Sea Lord and is the oldest naval ship still in commission.

See also:  "HMS Victory and the Aftermath of Trafalgar" - blog post.

Refs: National Museum and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Images include:  Hand-stitching a sail in a sail loft in the late 18^th century and The Trafalgar sail at the 1891 London Naval Exhibition. Other sources supplied on request.

HMS Victory and the aftermath of Trafalgar

Seven days after the Battle of Trafalgar, HMS Victory was towed into Gibraltar Bay for sufficient repairs to be undertaken to enable her to return to English waters. The first-rate was in a sad and sorry state, but at least she was still afloat. 

 "The hull is much damaged with shot in a number of places, several along the water line. Several beams and riders, knees shot through, and a broken starboard cathead. Timbers of the Head and Stem full of shot with lots of parts damaged. Chains and Channels shot away, the Mizzen mast shot away nine foot above the deck, bulwarks shot away, the main mast was full of shot and sprung, the Main Yard gone, the main Top-Mast cap shot away. The Main Topsail mast yard shot away. The Foremast shot through in many places, the Foreyard shot away, Bowsprit, Jib Boom and cap shot-away. Spritsail yards and Flying-jib boom gone. Fore and Main Tops shot away and the ship taking in 12 inches of water an hour."

After a difficult journey, Victory arrived back in Portsmouth on 4th December. From here she was destined to sail to her birthplace, Chatham Naval Dockyard for the second major refit of her long career.

Victory’s fore topsail accompanied the ship home and had been preserved to this day. (see The Trafalgar Sail blog post)

The wheel, which was shot away during the battle, was replaced with one bearing the words of Nelson's famous signal: ENGLAND EXPECTS THAT EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS DUTY.

 Ref – The Contemporary Sculptor: Image:  Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - 2012 (MM)

HMS Victory – CAPSTAN turned by 140 men

The Jeer Capstan “was used for hoisting stores, guns, boats, raising topmasts, yards and hoisting lower yards on their jeer tackle.
The upper part called the drumhead, worked in unison with its counterpart on the deck below, and was operated with 140 men manning the 14 capstan bars.

All of the iron stanchions surrounding the capstan were removed before operation. Ladders, wooden pillars and guns in close proximity were also removed.
This Capstan, which is still able to be turned in its original bearings, is the only surviving example of a late 18th century capstan.”

Pics taken by author and information provided on HMS Victory at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Henry V111's Mary Rose - past, present and future

When Henry V111's ship, MARY ROSE was receovered from The Solent in 1982, the bodies of numerous sailors (and a dog) were recovered from the wreck. Many of these have been preserved and/or been subjected to forensic tests to ascertain more about life in the 16th century.
The remains of one sailor however was interred at Portsmouth Cathedral - about a mile from the dockyard an quite close to the Sally Port and Portsea Beach from which Henry V111 watched his flag ship go down in 1545.
It seem fitting that there is a grave to one of the men who lost their lives on that fateful day so long ago.

This is the new Mary Rose Museum building which will be opening in 2013. I was pleased that I saw the ship undergoing its restoration process a few years ago.
Situated in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, I was standing close to HMS Victory.