Sailing AKICOLJ

[bunn]

Does anyone have any idea how long it would take to sail from the Solent to Thanet?  I do not mind about the tides, can adjust them to whatever is handy.  It's summer time, and there is a fair bit of wind. 

The ship would be a smallish one, and I am assuming for the moment that the sailors are in something of a hurry, and therefore may employ both sail and oars at least to get offshort in a hurry.     Oh yes, and they are Saxons. :-D

I am assuming that Saxon ships did have sails, because I think the argument they didn't is more than a bit weak, although I'm guessing very likely they would be restricted in their ability to tack or sail close to the wind.

( I have been meaning to carve a Saxon dragon-ship figurehead for approximately 20 years now, and I still have not done it. Maybe one day...)

Comments

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

I vaguely recall from my searching on Roman sailing that tacking (or rather the type of sail setup needed for tacking) was invented much later in history. But I'm not sure when...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I think Romans used lateen sails (which can be tacked, though apparently a bit awkwardly) in the Med, but square sails in the Channel and the North Sea. But I think it's reasonable for me to just give them a following wind most of the way to Thanet, so they shouldn't really need to tack much.