How were the fish davits stowed on the Victory?
The real Victory in Portsmouth has one fish davit deployed to hoist the portside anchor. I don’t believe I saw the other fish davit (Perhaps she carried only one). How would the davit be stowed when not in use? On the fore channel? Or the for’c’stle?
Hello Chuck,
The following two pics show the Starboard side Fish Davit stowed along the the Foc’sle.
The top rope scuttles can also be seen in this shot.
Here the support end can be seen.
I made fish davits for my Victory, here shown on the Foc’sle, but yet to be fixed down.
The deck colour is actually quite grey, not as appears here, due to artificial light.
Thanks, George.
Do you remember how the davits are secured on their chokes?
Chuck
I presume by ‘chokes’ you mean the chocks on which the davits rest. I question it simply as there may a technical term of which I am not aware.
At present the davits just rest on their supports, but presumably there would have been the means to lash them down in the working days of Victory.
As far as the working davit was concerned, I understand that the heel was angled to fit between the channel and the bulwark so as to rise at about 45 degrees. The davit was then braced by three guys to hold it in position. Whether there was a ‘shoe’ in which the heel fitted I don’t know. Another mental note for when I next visit Victory in the next month or so!
In the masting and rigging of British Men of War, it was stated that when in use, the butt of the davit rests against an 90 degree iron bar that is permanentaly fixed to the hull side and the top of the channel.
The position of the stowed davits would make it impossible for the f’c’stle 12 pdrs to be used at the location where I have them. [V] Those ring bolts have to come out.