HMS Trincomalee

This is quite a good video of the ship

And a glimpse of her life as a training ship

Thank you, Astrodene. It's interesting to see how safety (and liability) issues have evolved in ~30 year increments -- access to the rigging, use of pfd's in boats, etc.

Anyone been to the Historic Quay in Hartlepool, UK? Living next to the Naval Base in Simons Town it was a long haul but well worth the experience of walking the quarterdeck of a Leda frigate. Magnificent restoration and no restrictions re photo-shoot so I am able to build a model of same. Been at it 13 months! Hull complete and getting masts in. Highly recommend a visit.

Above post moved as I think it fits better here.

A visit there is something on my 'to do' list.

Thank you Astrodene. It was good to see the old footage. Andrew Lambert's book on the restoration of Tricomalee is worth getting hold of for those interested in such undertakings. I noted that Trincomalee visted Simons Town on her way to England and collected bullocks from Cape Town for St Helena, then home to Napoleon. It majes her the oldest warship afloat to have been to our Naval Base. Admiral Alexander Cochrane is reputedto have walked her decks. Awesome!

Having been a Naval fiction reader for nigh on thirty years I find I am enjoying the the whole process more than ever. Besides being transported to an age of chivalry and a much more sedate pace I have found the key to this newfound pleasure!

Five years ago I visited HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool. The restoration was not yet complete but was still well worth the convaluted effort of travelling from my home in Simons Town to the north east of England.

This Leda Class frigate is now fully restored to its former glory and of far greater interest to me than HMS Victory. Dont get me wrong, I appreciate Victory ,and have in fact toured the ship on three occasions.(And I have the CD Rom of the ship.) However, on Trincomalee there are not the crowds to contend with or the restrictions re photographs etc. While tours are on offer, I was allowed to browse and wander at leisure for hours!!The restoration is magnificent and after a second recent visit and some 300 photographs I managed to buy the plans of the ship from the Maritime Museum. A 1:64 scale sratch model has occupied my attention for just over a year, when not reading!

The point I'm making is that I feel every serious Napoleonic Naval War enthusiast ( and lets face it, thats the bulk of the fiction we all enjoy), should take time to explore and absorb the ambiance of the frigate. To be able to vividly picture every area of the ship; the powder monkey route from the copper plated magazines to the quarter deck carronades. From the precarious heads to the gunroom. It has added a new dimension to my understanding and enjoyment of the adventures of our many heros!!!

Put it on your bucket list!!

I just came across a term on the Trincomalee site (in the Interactive Gun Deck page) that is new to me: "The Shannon". It seems to be referring to a location just forward of the great cabin on the gun deck, to the larboard of the capstan, before the first gun. All my attempts at searching for this term have yielded references to ships called "The Shannon" so I am none the wiser. Has anyone else come across this term?

I sent you an email re the Shannon. Its the location of a model of the frigate HMS Shannon on display as Shannon was also a Leda Class frigate, but an early version.

Cheers.

Tony

Got it - thanks, Tony.
You'd think they would have labelled it "Model of The Shannon" ...