Michael Baizerman Author

 As I extend my research, I begin to understand the scope of my task, which exceeds the size of a short article. I decided to divide my essay into working blocks.  The outline of the first block: 1. Uncorking the Atlantic route 2. The Venetian response a. Propulsion b. Speed 3. Safety and security a. General b. Safety c. Security The first topic focuses on the Genoese merchants' response to an unfriendly reception in France on their way to the Champagne Fairs and their search for an alternative route, which led them to Bruges. Initially run by light galleys, the Flanders line soon switched to round ships. The shipbuilders designed a new type, the three-masted Mediterranean cog, which combined the construction traditions of North and South Europe, to transport bulky commodities.  The Venetians responded to the launch of a new route by designing a great galley, a hybrid craft that could serve both as a warship and a cargo vessel. The boat could sail in all seasons but could...

Henri Sbonski de Passebon , 1690. A c olorised engraving of a French galley from the early 17th century I have not posted any updates since the first stage of the new research has been, as always, dull and unimaginative, focusing on learning basic facts.  However, a few days ago, I moved to a new stage, where I develop data and find evidence. I have even written the outline of the future article, though it may change a lot.  Anyway, I have started asking research questions and supplying the answers.  What made a great galley a specialized vessel? What were the dimensions and cargo capacity of a great galley in the sixteenth century? What do we know about the safety and security of the great galleys? My sources are: Lionel Casson, Merchant Galleys. In Robert Gardiner, The Age of the Galley. (Edison: Chartwell Books Inc., 2000)   Renard Gluzman, Wrecked, Captured or Destroyed: The Challenge to Ensure Adequate Protection at Sea in the Sixteenth Century. In:...