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

[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.