The BBC is currently running a series of documentaries called "Sea Fever" about this countries maritime past, and it's been pretty engrossing so far. Indeed at times it has been hard to both write a post and watch the screen. Fortunately tonight there is a lull while we wait for the election results.Last night there was the story of HMS Pickle, a lovely little schooner who's modern replica is in the picture above. It was at the Battle of Trafalgar (spoiler alert - we won) and was given the task of getting the news back to blighty. And there was a prize - all of £500 up for grabs.
But it was not alone - a bigger ship, HMS Nautilus, discovered there was such a fortune awaiting who ever got the message home first.
It was a race of contrasts - between the traditional ship of the line - big, barrel shaped hull, square rigger - and the smaller, wine shaped hull, gaff rigger. The HMS Pickle with these modern advances could sail to windward much faster than its rival, even though its waterline was shorter.
And it was a very close run. Even with a short cut of landing at Falmouth and taking the stage to London there was just 30 minutes in it. But that was enough to get her commander, Lieutenant John Lapenotiere, to see the First Secretary of the Admiralty, Mr Marsden and then The Prime Minister, William Pitt, before finally being presented to King George III.
So the radical new design won - but where was it designed? The answer was not in any of the British ship building ports of Portsmouth or Chatham, as it was a prize brought back from the West Indies.
The Pickle almost certainly came from those radical colonies (or ex-colonies), namely either America or Bermuda. In the film she was taken out in a F8 and it was clear she was a lovely, sweet sailing beauty.
Looking forward to what ever comes next in the series.
