African Pirates Ship

[Grimnir]

When the galley became out-of-date the xebec/chebec became the favored ship type of the Barbary corsairs. It was basically a sailing ship but could be rowed if necessary. It was fast, highly manoveurable, and quite well armed with ca. 20 guns. The xebec proved to be more than a match for the fast European frigates. In the middle of the 18th century the French and Spanish saw their only chance in dealing with the pirates by copying the ship design and building xebecs themselves.

http://www.admiraltyshipmodels.co.uk/acatalog/Chebec_Xebec_Ship_Models.html
http://www.modelships.de/Schebecke,_arabisch/Chebec_arabian.htm
http://www.falconstein.de/product_info.php?products_id=78

[PeteMurray]

One of the finer points of the xebec is that it can sail well with a beam wind - something a square-rigged ship has a bit of trouble with (by the same token, a square-rigger goes faster with the wind from her aft). When you're in the Med, this means a xebec can sail North-South faster than a square-rigger - handy for darting out of a fortified harbor, hitting your target, then turning and sailing for home.

I also think xebecs can point higher into the wind than square-riggers. Bermuda rigs can, and that's another fore-and-aft rigging. But I'm not certain on this.

A major plot point of "Master and Commander" is that Jack Aubrey's little sloop is pursued by a Spanish xebec-rigged frigate.

[Black Cat Bases]

We do a basic dhow: http://www.blackcatbases.com/product.asp?strPageHistory=category&numSearchStartRecord=0&strParents=99&CAT_ID=99&P_ID=580&btnProduct=Products... we also do african and turkish crew: http://www.blackcatbases.com/product.asp?strPageHistory=category&numSearchStartRecord=0&strParents=117&CAT_ID=117&P_ID=560&btnProduct=Products... which will be added to soon, we have loads of new releases over the next month! Most of which will be available at Salute as pre release!

Jo:)

[Grimnir]

One of the finer points of the xebec is that it can sail well with a beam wind - something a square-rigged ship has a bit of trouble with (by the same token, a square-rigger goes faster with the wind from her aft). When you're in the Med, this means a xebec can sail North-South faster than a square-rigger - handy for darting out of a fortified harbor, hitting your target, then turning and sailing for home.

I also think xebecs can point higher into the wind than square-riggers. Bermuda rigs can, and that's another fore-and-aft rigging. But I'm not certain on this.

A major plot point of "Master and Commander" is that Jack Aubrey's little sloop is pursued by a Spanish xebec-rigged frigate.

Yes, lateen-rigged ships are more efficient at sailing close-hauled than square-rigged ships.

The left ship is a "classic" lateen-rigged xebec and the right ship is polacre-rigged xebec which was developed in the 18th century in order to combine the advantages of both rigging-styles

[PeteMurray]

Yes, lateen-rigged ships are more efficient at sailing close-hauled than square-rigged ships.

The left ship is a "classic" lateen-rigged xebec and the right ship is polacre-rigged xebec which was developed in the 18th century in order to combine the advantages of both rigging-styles

They tried the same rig on brigantines, with the lateen rig on  the mizzenmast. Those are "hermaphrodite" brigs. They were legendarily indifferent sailors on all points of sail, and kind of complicated to rig.

[Gluteus Maximus]

I don't think this has been mentioned before, but if so I apologize  

The Virtual Armchair General stocks card Dhow and Junk models. You can either buy them as a kit or as PDFs on CDs:

http://fauxtoys.com/tvag/511-Send-Gunboat-2.html







The CD version is a good deal, as you can obviously print off a fleet if required.

I know card models are not everyone's cup of tea, but for those of us who are hamfisted oafs, with little money, they can be a very attractive option.

Patrick is a good guy and is a pleasure to do business with.

Cheers,
Ian

[Maksim-Smelchak]

Hi Prof. W.,

I am building a Barbary Pirates / Corsairs ship & crew.

I have photos here if you'd like to take a gander:

http://6mm-minis.blogspot.com/2008/04/mini-wargaming-28mm-barbary-pirates-27.html

Please keep us informed as to the staus of your project... I'd like to follow it. If only we could all be as insanely productive as Paul Matakishi!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.
http://6mm-minis.blogspot.com/

[Stéphane]

For 25/28mm pirates Eureka also has a range that includes some Turkish pirates which might work: http://eurekamin.com.au/index.php?cPath=87_126_170&sort=3a .

I thing that these corsaries from Eureka look like more "arabic" (indian ocean) than "barbaresques" (mediteranean and atlantic seas) ones.

[Sendak]

In some quarters the lateen sailed ships of the Barbary Corsairs were called xebecs, xebecca, and the like.

Just in case you're surfing or in need of another search term. :mrgreen: