Fyi - I've taken the liberty of forwarding Gerald's email (below) for those of you in the group who didn't receive it originally. Apologies for any cross-posting to those who have already seen it.
yours
Jesse

Dr Jesse Ransley
B65b/2008
Archaeology
University of Southampton
Avenue Campus
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BF

t: 02380 599284
f: 02380 593032

Project webpages:
http://www.southampton.ac.uk/archaeology/research/projects/maritime_research_framework.html
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From: Gerald Grainge [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 18 May 2010 20:12
To: Jeff Sanders; Andrew Pearson; Peacock D.P.; David Tomalin; Goodburn, Damian; Gus Milne; Jason Monaghan; Framework; Blue L.K.; Walsh M.T.; Paul Bidwell; Peter Marsden; Roberta Tomber; WILSON, Pete
Subject: Appendix

Dear All,

I said yesterday that I would offer some thoughts about the Appendix I drafted last September.

I would have suggested that it should now be discarded.  However, Mick Walsh’s comment that it was “included due to the difficulty, for non-sailing archaeologists [or even historians], of accessing coherent accounts of the sailing characteristics (as they are known) of Roman-ships and the problems of sailing around Britain” resonated with me.  The fact is that one of the research motives I had, in undertaking – in retirement – my research degree was to investigate the influence of the limitations of the contemporary seamanship and ship performance on history.  An example of the way in which historical interpretations can be formulated in ignorance of nautical issues is John Hinds’ 1989 Britannia article “An alternative strategy for Aulus Plautius”: this postulated that the Roman invasion fleet of AD 43 sailed from Boulogne, the Somme and the Seine, formed up off Boulogne and then sailed down Channel to the Solent; this would have been virtually impossible, given the capabilities of the available ships.

In interpreting maritime history the uncertainty of passage planning and passage making under sail needs constantly to be borne in mind.  It was not until the early nineteenth century that the packet ships of the Black Ball Line sailed for America to a schedule, leaving Liverpool on the 1st of the month.  Scheduled arrival was not guaranteed.

The question then for the editor of our working group’s contribution is whether my appendix should be retained, for the reason suggested by Mick Walsh.  If it is, two issues must be addressed:

the illustrations I offered are copyright and copyright permission needs to be obtained

the appendix needs heavy editing, not least in the light of the caveats I offered at the beginning and end of the appendix

Regards

Gerald

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Dr. Gerald Grainge, PhD
2 Finglesham Farm Barns,
Marley Lane,
Finglesham,
Deal,
Kent,
England
CT14 0NF
Tel: +441304621002.
Mobile +447721023468