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Publications
Santos, T.A., Fonseca, N. and Castro, F. (2006), “Stability Characteristics of an Early XVII Century Nau”, Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Stability of Ships and Ocean Vehicles (STAB´06), 25-29 September, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
During the XVI and XVII centuries the India Route was the longest regular commercial route of its time and connected Lisbon, Portugal, with Goa or Cochin in the Indian subcontinent. However, there is presently very little technical knowledge about the technical characteristics of the different ship types employed in this trade. This paper starts by describing briefly the shipbuilding treatises, techniques and shipyard organization at this time. Then, a shipwreck discovered at the mouth of the Tagus River, which was identified as the Portuguese ship Nossa Senhora dos Mártires, of the Nau type, lost in this place in 1606, is described. Taking in consideration shipbuilding treatises and archaeological remains, a reconstruction of the ship’s lines plan, structure and rigging is then presented. This information is used to investigate the floatability and stability of the ship in a number of different loading conditions, including overloading of the ship, which was a usual condition when these ships returned from India. Accidental conditions such as those arising from flooding are also discussed. The results are compared with modern stability criteria for large sailing vessels.
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