Louis XIV ' galley  

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La Fleur de Lis 1690  Gérard DELACROIX

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France - 150 euros (138 € + port 12 €) Europe - 155 euros (138 € + port 17 €) Out of Europa - 195 euros (138 € + shipping 57 €)

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For over 3,000 years, galleys sailed throughout European waters in various shapes and under different names, from the sun-drenched Mediterranean to the mists of the Baltic Sea. Originally a commercial vessel, the galley was soon transformed into a war ship in the ancient world and reached the zenith of its technical development in the 17^th century, before disappearing in France during the 1750s.
The somewhat mysterious construction and fitting-out of these formidable ships have always fascinated students of early maritime history. Although galleys were often considered to be simply built ships, by the end of the 17^th century the galley had inherited extremely complex and refined architectural lines, much more so, in fact, than other vessels with which it co-existed.
The evolution of the galley, whose history spans thirty centuries, allowed it to develop and refine a structure that had to consolidate strength, lightweight, and performance.  These features required novel and original solutions that have rarely been described and have never been systematically illustrated.
With approximately 230 plates drawn to perspective, this study offers a minute account of how a galley was built in the 1690s, from the drawing board to the launching of the ship. The text describes the various stages of construction in detail, including provisions for stowage and rigging. The study also includes a description of rowing techniques and procedures that were directly related to aspects of building or equipping the ship. The commentary on the 26 plates (drawn to 1:48 scale) explicates the drawings of the different components or assemblies that were required to build, equip, and rig a 26-bench galley. The plates include a drawing of the framework of the entire ship, which will allow the ship’s model builder to complete his model with completely accurate proportions. In conclusion, nearly fifty colour photographs of a ship’s model in various stages of completion illustrate this extensive 240 page study whose table of contents is as follows:

Book in French

Summary of the 240 page booklet:

LES GALERES DE LOUIS XIV  Généralités           Rappels sur l'histoire des galères           Considérations générales           Sources et bibliographie           Description des principales parties d'une galère La théorie de la conception et sa mise en pratique           Proportions d'une galère des années 1690           Les gabarits et leur utilisation La construction           La charpente longitudinale           Le chantier           Fabrication et assemblage des membres           Revêtement intérieur et charpente de la couverte           Revêtement extérieur de la coque et de la couverte           Le talar et les rais de coursier           La rambade et les conilles           L'éperon et le tambouret           L'espace pour la vogue.           Les cavalets  et le fougon           Les dispositions de la poupe           Décorations

Équipements de la galère           Les rames            L'artillerie et les armes           Les ancres ou fers et les câbles           Le timon et l'ourgeau           Les embarcations           Le retranchement de proue Lancement, calfatage, peinture et espalmage Aménagements de la cale Lest et arrimage L'art de la vogue La mature, arbres et antennes Le gréement des galères vers 1690          Les voiles          Gréement  (arbres, antennes et voiles) Les tentes et pavillons Les hommes de la galère  MONOGRAPHIE DE "LA FLEUR DE LIS" Commentaires des 26 planches Devis des bois Photographies d'un modèle en cours de réalisation Lexique