HMS Unicorn - No Ordinary Ship

[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@fabianzimmermann5495]

In book five (Victory of Eagles) of the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik that takes place during the Napoleonic Wars, there is a scene during a naval battle, where a cannonball that had been fired by the enemy ship was rolling around in the inside of the ship that was fired upon. A bored sailor decides to stop the shell by putting his foot in front of it and instead the cannonball takes his foot off and keeps rolling without even slowing down. Is this accurate? Could a rolling cannonball take someones foot off like that? (I highly recommend the book series. It's more or less the Napoleonic Wars, but with dragons being used as an air force by the fighting countries. The main character also served in the Royal Navy and there are plenty of naval actions in the series.)

[@johnbeauvais3159]

In the early 18th century, what would have been common sail plans for smaller 2 and 3 masted ships? Were fore and aft rigs common by that time or would it have been mostly square sails?

[@cupajoe7258]

I know it's not in your date range, but being that a relatively modern capital ship was sunk this last week, perhaps you might tell us your thoughts, reactions and perceptions about the event.

[@GaldirEonai]

Regarding "sailing frigate beats u-boat", that makes me wonder...would a WW2 sub have had difficulties picking up a sailing vessel on hydrophones? Obviously a sailing ship of any given size would be easier to _visually_ detect on the surface than a steam- or diesel-powered vessel, but I'm given to understand that long-range detection tended to happen via hydrophone...

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

How many baths did it take for you feel clean after leaving Scumdee?

[@toddwebb7521]

The sailing ships with a roof look like they would make a great pub in the Caribbean somewhere if they had been parked there.

[@HighlanderNorth1]

💥😳💥 It's shocking that the designer of the "roof" somehow KNEW that there was going to be a need for a landing deck for aircraft in the future, despite the fact that they hadn't been invented yet! Obviously, the designer didn't yet comprehend the requirement for a more "flat and smooth" landing surface, likely because he expected combat helicopters to be invented first...... 😁

[@davy1458]

Ship worm would have a mighty feast on her.

[@williamcostello8658]

Teredo worms

[@isabellalofton263]

It'd be so cool to have Unicorn as your house.

[@TobyCatVA]

OMG, LoL, My hand to God, I did not read your post before I made mine.

[@louiedelk592]

It is vids like this that show off just how deep Drach’s knowledge is. He can’t exactly read off a script or teleprompter when giving one of these live tours so he needs to have a massive amount of available knowledge and the ability to remember important facts and details well in advance of recording.

[@WayneBorean]

He does a ton of research. A ton!

[@DrivermanO]

Ceilings on a ship? Really - they're deckheads, surely?! Also, aren't walls bulkheads? Furthermore, the gunroom is not the officers messroom - the gunroom is for Midshipmen and Lieutenants, the wardroom is for the senior officers, excluding the Captain, who dines alone unless invited by the wardroom or gunroom. Modern smaller ships have somewhat merged and blurred these distinctions, but when this HMS Unicorn was built, they were very distinct and heirerchical.

[@germen343]

@@WayneBorean b]

[@torgrimmyt3549]

​@@DrivermanO Afaik you are correct for a ship-of-the-line but the situation was somewhat different on a frigate. As there was wardroom, the gunroom became what the wardroom was and only the wardroom officers were allowed to live and eat there.

[@Drachinifel]

@@DrivermanO as the ship is in ordinary they usually got treated more as buildings in RN service, so the terminology reflects that. Also, no real bulkheads on a wooden warship most.of the time :)

[@mrjockt]

I was born and raised in Dundee, I’m back living there now but I’ve never actually been aboard H.M.S. Unicorn, having seen this video I think I’ll take a drive down and have a look over it. Just out of interest, for many years there was a second ship moored alongside Unicorn in the Tay estuary, H.M.S. Mars, a two deck 80 gun ship of the line launched in 1849, she was also used as a training ship until she was scrapped in the late 1920’s. Mars was also used as what we would call nowadays a “Young Offenders Home”, many youths who got into trouble were sent there to basically learn how to be a sailor and given the opportunity to better themselves, as it was said, there was an expression used at the time “You behave yerself, or we’ll send ye tae the Mars”.

[@finlaymcdiarmid5832]

I went on it once as a child for someones birthday party. Strangest function site ive been to.

[@leon6777]

My mother has been to a wedding on the boat, mental

[@simonoldroyd5037]

@Israel Hands HMS Conway broke her moorings, ran aground and broke her back, many pictures on line...my brother went to merchant navy school at HMS Conway...on land!

[@cosmiccolonel]

@@leon6777 I was married onboard her back in 2001….👍

[@leon6777]

@@cosmiccolonel does liz Skinner ring a bell?

[@Nick-rs5if]

Such a rich history for a ship that never saw service. An amazing display of naval traditions!

[@MoA-Reload...]

Have to say, impressive long takes. There are professional presenters would never even attempt that so very well done Drach 😉

[@MrTeapots]

Agreed it is very impressive. That kind of confidence only comes from really knowing your stuff.

[@dickiedavies6870]

Well done to drach, very clear and informative video.

[@jakesully2868]

He is good!

[@stevedawe1553]

Great talk

I very much like this Video Format. It also speaks towards drachs success and standing with the professional naval history world, as he is getting more and more access to interesting stuff 👍

[@robertf3479]

The story of the U-Boat surrendering to a century and a half young frigate placed a big smile on my face. She is a fascinating vessel, I wish I could visit her in Dundee but I'm afraid that is not to be, Unicorn is physically in better shape than I am. Thank you for this presentation Drach. Stay well young man.

[@chrissouthgate4554]

Thanks for this Drach. A more important ship than I had first thought! I had discounted her due to her lack of service & masts, but there’s more to her than that. I have now donated to the movement/preservation fund.

[@scott2836]

Thank you for ringing the bell, Drach. That wonderful resonant sound just hangs on the air (of course, being enclosed helps…). There is nothing quite like it - electronic reproductions just don’t get it done. Fun fact: Some of the original papers presented by Mr. Seppings, FRS, can be seen online in the archives of the Royal Society. And if you are especially keen to possess a nice copy, you can actually purchase them in leather bound form (restrain yourself, Drach).

[@backinblack03]

The drone flying seemed pretty smooth to me

[@CornballLyric]

I loved the walk through of one of the last remaining original old sailing ships. Thank you very much 😊

[@marknelson5929]

Hello from Sydney - by far one of the best guided tours I've experienced of an old vessel - like being their in person, many thanks. It helps that one has an interest in old ships as I do to really appreciate the history etc, she is a unique survivor. On a similar vein in regard to old RN ships, when I met my wife 11 years ago, she had in her house a magnificent model of a 19th century RN warship in a wooden case. The brass plaque said 'HMS Victory', but I quickly realised it wasn't. Upon detailed examination this model was very old, made of timber and ivory. It is a 2nd Rate 94 gun ship and the actual model itself (not the full size ship) was made in the early 19th century, around 1810 by a Sottish ancestor who I was told was a ship builder. The stern galleries are beautifully carved in ivory and are the open 'verandah' type seen on earlier ships of the line. The strakes along the side of the hull are ivory with open gun ports with protruding cannon. The masts and rigging are virtually complete and original, but without the rigging for handling the sails as they are absent. There are model crew members made in timber in the rigging and Marines on deck and some also in the rigging. The quarter deck has officers and what appears to be the Captain. The stern carries no name, but the figurehead is of an officer in full uniform, right arm out stretched pointing to the horizon with a cutlass clasped to his side in his left hand. The model was brought to Australia in the 1880s by her family ancestors and at one stage resided in a museum in the 1920s etc which is where it got its current beautiful timber case and incorrect plaque. We had the model carefully restored a few years back by a professional ship modeller which was mainly to do with removing dust and some mould and he also remade a missing longboat. He confirmed from the models build style and detail that it was very early 19th century. One last thing along the upper main gun deck on each side above the main rail (bulwarks) are rolled up crews hammocks, nearly vertically stacked, one after the other, tightly packed together. I understand this was practise when going into battle as the hammocks offered some protection by absorbing splinters?

[@mrw3617]

I love the story of a 19th century frigate that never saw combat taking the surrender of a (at the time) modern war worn combat vessel

[@davidmurphy8190]

If I had been a U-boat skipper at the end of WW2, surrendering to a frigate in Dundee would have been a better option than any other I could think of. Except ending up as a tour boat in the Florida Keys?

[@dwayne7201]

@@davidmurphy8190 tour boats in the Florida Keys get good money

[@Alex-cw3rz]

You'll have to check out HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool as well now, it's a great museum, the buildings around really give you a feel for the life on land that where supporting these ships. You could even talk about the changes between each ship, as although being the same design, having been hand built, will have little differences even their lengths are probably different and the decoration and transom are different as well.

[@paulcooper7178]

There's a decent cheap Italian around the corner too.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

@@paulcooper7178 ah didn't see that when I went we just went Wetherspoons

[@AdamMGTF]

I live just down the road, it's a good visit.

[@1IbramGaunt]

Next time I go there, that bottle of Pusser's Rum from the souvenir shop is all mine

[@HeliophobicRiverman]

That's a ship I'd love to visit, she was still just a hulk in the early phases of restoration when I visited the museum.

[@douglasherron7534]

Great to see you making a vid about HMS Unicorn. I remember visiting her as a kid 40-odd years ago.

[@Pyeknu]

Atop the eleven HM Ships Unicorn, there's also the one HMC Ship Unicorn, the RCN naval reserve unit in Saskatoon in Saskatchewan. She also has the right to bear her namesake ships' battle honours up to after WW2.

[@thecrackpotfarmer9488]

Saskatoon you say? Well it's only 3 hours from me. Who's idea it was for a naval reserve in Saskatchewan... Well that's nuts but oh well!

[@erikolson2020]

@@thecrackpotfarmer9488 I suppose we have enough lakes that someone thought it'd be a good idea!

[@ecooper4604]

Dundee is a great place to visit. It has HMS Unicorn AND RRS Discovery (of Scott and Shackleton fame). Not to mention some good museums and excellent 'watering holes'. Well worth a visit. Good to see a wooden ship....any more?

[@christianmccollum1028]

Wish I could. Sounds like a bucket list kind of vacation. I'm stuck here, working paycheck to paycheck in Central Texas. There are too many places to see and not enough money or time to go. But I digress. Glad I stumbled upon this channel. Cheers, mate!

[@nicholaskelly6375]

@@christianmccollum1028 You should try to visit the UK. As there is a great deal of interesting maritime heritage.

[@scotthill8787]

I enjoy listening to Drach not just for the information presented. He loves what he does, and it shows.

[@trevorWilkinson]

Yes! Ever since I found your channel I've been waiting for a video on the Unicorn! It's a wonderful ship and is so often overlooked by the discovery near by but Unicorn is far more interesting. I completed a survey recently where I suggested they contact you to help give it some publicity and hopefully it can maintain funding to be put into dry-dock and looked after properly. Dundee has gone through quite a regeneration in the past 10 years and it's worth a visit as a wonderful little city.

[@Joel-tv2tt]

This ship would make a great pub

[@kairos468]

HMS Unicorn is one of the most important relics from the age of sail. Thanks for the video, Drach!

[@Vid-FX]

Have known this ship for 40 odd years, inductions, awards, dinners etc. Admittedly I expected her to turn turtle at any moment. I'm glad that she has survived this long and there are plans to keep her preserved for more decades to come.

[@yes_head]

All things considered she looks like she's in great shape. The projected funding and support are very encouraging. Good luck with the drydocking!

[@milgeek315]

Fascinating And I'm embarrassed to say that I'm from Dundee and wasn't aware of the rich history of the Unicorn! Excellent video, thank you.

[@johnsykesiii1629]

Really enjoyed the personal tour of this ship. Hopefully, we'll see more of that in the future? I hope you are shooting gobs of video while you are touring the museum ships in the USA. Will be looking forward to your follow-up to this trip.

[@kpdubbs7117]

At first I wasn't sure about the value of the Unicorn, but after this I totally see the point.

[@neildonaldson3408]

Well done Drachinifel. Very good show. I had the opportunity to go aboard the Trincomolee many years ago and it was a pleasure to hear the ship even though in harbour creaking in the most gentlest of wind and waves.

[@williamlloyd3769]

Drac, when you stood up in the gun room, I couldn’t believe the size of the timber behind you. Absolutely massive!

[@remaincalm2]

This is fascinating and most educational. I love these old ships and I hope they're preserved for centuries to come. Thank you for making this video.

[@ericswain70]

Drachinifel looks stoked to be there. Not everyday you get to go in a time machine.

[@comentedonakeyboard]

Unicorn aparently had a extra Ordinary Career.

[@ReckshawScaleModels]

I grew up in Dundee and would often visit the Unicorn, like what was said in the video she has a special place in the Dundonian heart. A constant presence ready to fire the imagination of the young and old. I think she needs to be more publicized than she is. It’s great that RSS Discovery is also in Dundee and has been given a fantastic museum and visitor center but since then it seems HMS Unicorn is seen as second class. They really missed out on not placing the two ships together creating a world-class exhibition; highlighting Dundee’s contribution to shipbuilding through to many of the Cities’ industries. I was lucky enough to be asked to come aboard HMS Unicorn and record my memories of the ship. On the appointed date I drove 440 miles to do the recording then turned around and drove back. I’m not suggesting that an 880-mile round trip is for everyone but a chance to take part in a living history project was too good to turn down and I would recommend it to everyone who has had an experience aboard her to share it.

[@campbell1871]

Visited Unicorn a few times. Always worth seeing.

[@AV-fo5de]

I have spent quite a lot of time on the Unicorn as part of an historical living history group (pre pandemic, of course!) The staff are brilliant and well informed, and it was great to be able to publicise the grand old girl and encourage others to visit and take part in events. She will always have a spot in my heart. Both sides of my family have produced many seafarers, with my Grandfather having served in WW1 and WW2. He taught me all the names of each part and how to use navigational tools and charts. I have his round the world chart from 1912 on my wall.

[@ironteacup2569]

We started with a robot voice and now we have a history channel presenter! I love how much you do keep this stuff up!!

[@georgehughes8698]

Much more informative than the History Channel has done in years. They try to make it flashy rather than truly in depth examinations for the ratings. More of the surface look hopefully it causes people to explore the history more on their own and by watching the terrific content on channels like this one!

[@ironteacup2569]

@@georgehughes8698 I agree Drach is much better. I love how he is coming out of his shell and doing so much more. There were so many questions I always had as a kid that this sort of content has answered for me

[@american4405]

I really like this format! I think you should do this with Texas once she's found a new home. I know that might be up the road quite a ways, however I'd love a tour with drach talking about super dreadnought design and innovations.

[@tankacebo9128]

I sleep in a hammock instead of a bed, it helps my broken back. it helps to have something to grab when you get up, the back of a chair, a table edge, etc. I sleep like a baby in it. love it. I used to work on a long line fishing boat, and was a sponge diver. I'd always sling my hammock on deck and sleep in it. helps to have a weatherproof one made of tent-canvas to keep dry.

[@Yippidiyippida]

I was up in Dundee not that long ago and saw this ship and had no idea of the history behind it. I recognised it as a Napoleonic era Frigate but didn't know that it is mostly original and I'm really glad to hear that there is a long term plan. She didn't look in the best of shape when I saw her but it seems that is just superficial issues. I'm excited to follow her story!

[@crazypickles8235]

I love these sorts of reviews of vessels. Thanks for posting this, please do another one for Trinc! This was great to listen to!

[@michaeltelson9798]

In the latter part of the 1700’s the newly independent United States decided to ban the export of certain woods and naval stores to England. Part of this was the creation of tracts of land as reserves for naval stores and live oak in the Carolinas. Much of these lands were actually hardly ever used but remained in the hands of the US Navy to this day. Some have become bases, other maintained as is, and others given to be nature reserves and parks. The live oak from this area was used in the construction of the USS Constitution. In the 1700’s as the English forests were becoming depleted, the Royal Navy looked to the German states for sources of oak timber. These were rejected as not up to standards. They were different species of oaks. Oaks are divided into 2 groups, Red Oaks and White Oaks. The White Oaks have structures the fill their pores making them able to hold liquids, thus tight cooperage and what you need for ship building. Red oaks lack this and will leak, but barrels from these are good for dry goods and things like apples. Their barrels are called slack cooperage. The air flow allows longer preservation. English Oak is a member of the white oak group as is Live Oak.

[@chrisp3913]

Live oak was used for the first 4 frigates. It’s a great book too.

[@gdj11]

I visited HMS Unicorn back in 1990. Happy to see she is still afloat and hope to see her again in the future. (A former member of HMCS Unicorn. Saskatoon' stone frigate.)

[@CS-zn6pp]

The most eye opening fact is that navel shipbuilding had basically used up almost all the large oak trees in British isles. My geography teacher once said there were more mature oak trees in England today than at any point in the last 1000 years. I couldn't believe it but now I understand why.

[@kanrakucheese]

Longbows were also a contributing factor to GB's deforestation.

[@milferdjones2573]

@@kanrakucheese A major one as they started requiring all ships arriving in England to bring some Yew in particular as a port tax. At least in longbow they were very picky only Yew and a few others would do.

[@deaks25]

I knew a fair bit about Unicorn and Trincomalee as I do love Age-of-Sail frigates, but I have to admit to be more biased to Trincomalee, especially as a friend is originally from Hartlepool but this is a good reminder that every ship has a unique story to tell, and Unicorn taking the surrender of a u-boat got a 'wow' from me.

[@FerdoFulgosi]

It is nice to see a video from a ship that still exists. Please do as many as you can!

[@simonrisley2177]

What an interesting ship -- and what a good tour! Many thanks. (And well done for not falling out of the hammock!)

[@ross.venner]

31:55 - I had three weeks sleeping in a hammock on TS Sir Winston Churchill. Very comfortable, provided that they were all at the same length and therefore swung with the same period. If not, chaos...

[@Eulemunin]

Love to see the structural changes in late age of sail.

[@lemonchicken41]

Thank you for making this video! It's great to see all the spaces throughout a Leda-class frigate.

[@benwilson6145]

200 years old and all original, not one that has had every plank replaced. You can see where the original fitting was done with original timbers. Maybe Drach has got over his original plan to modernise her, Trincomalee has all that done 20 years ago.

[@rogersmith7396]

I would favor duplication of Trincomalee. Looks forlorn and useless. Two years to raise 100,000. That won't cover the paint. What happened to National Trust?

[@benwilson6145]

@@rogersmith7396 Another Disney Special! Trincomalee is mostly a made up recreation! You have never seen Unicorn!

[@dannywilde244]

14:20 This would simply be a prime example of HMS Unicorn using, as the Chieftain would put it, "combined arms" to defeat an enemy and take the surrender of a German U-boat as a result.

[@edschaller3727]

Thank you for this video. Far more interesting that I had expected;) I certainly appreciate the technical side of how wooden ships were made and the evolution of that building. Quite fascinating.

[@enscroggs]

0:53 Unicorn looks like she took a wallop from a passing vessel or some sort of dockyard gear like a floating crane. The sloop-of-war USS Constellation looked even worse when she was first opened as a museum ship, even though she is 37 years younger. Constellation is in fine shape today and is the only reason I can think of for visiting Baltimore. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/USS_Constellation_Inner_Harbor.JPG

[@rogersmith7396]

Would like to see a similar tour of Warrior. A very impressive ship. Amazing restoration.

[@Decrepit_biker]

I live just 20 miles from Unicorn and Discovery and have passed both ships 100s of times. This will be the year I visit them both!

[@jonocc5548]

Not been aboard for nearly 20 years, think I might pop along for a visit, great video!

[@Pyeknu]

The last HMS/M Unicorn is today HMCS/M Windsor, based out of Halifax.

[@Avalanche041]

This is a ship I have heard of but never really payed much mind too. Thank you for educating me on a very fascinating vessel.

[@Tram235]

Fantastic tour. Thank you for your expertise on these old ships.

[@classicfrog80]

Production value is going up. I really like the 4k resolution. I watch it on a big screen and so it's nice to see all the details in the background.

[@HappytubsDoncaster]

Woke up to this in my feed. I had to stay awake as it's amazing!

[@billfunk1219]

Well done documentary! Very interesting learning about these old ships. Glad to see this HMS Unicorn is being kept up and in good condition.

[@Jpdt19]

Excellent stuff Drach. Thanks for this.

[@stevewareing8525]

Fantastic video Drachinifel, I've been on board many times on my visits to see family in Broughty Ferry. I hope you had the opportunity to sample a cup of tea in the café while you were on board? Probably one of the best brews you can get in Dundee (Maybe the location adds something to the flavour) 🤔. I've also been fortunate enough to have visited the other oldest surviving commissioned Leda - class frigate up in Hartlepool HMS Trincomalee. In the Unicorn you can see things below deck you wouldn't see in Trincomalee but then she is fully rigged which Unicorn never was. I think there were plans to raise money to convert the old sea lock into a semi-dry-dock to make a permanent home for her. I hope it happens, she deserves to be preserved. 👍

[@WayIntoAdventures]

This really is one of the most fun shorter videos so far. I liked that you were actually in the ship and could describe things about that ship and others based on actually looking at a real ship.

[@admiraltiberius1989]

Absolutely fantastic video as always Drach. Your getting more comfortable in front of the camera and it shows. Bravo Zulu sir !!

[@Axel0204]

Amusingly, those officer's cabins are actually more spacious than the officer's staterooms on a modern USN submarine. On a Los Angeles-class or Virginia-class, three officers would be crammed into a similar sized space as this! Even the Captain's cabin on those subs is not much larger, although at least he gets the space to himself.

[@rashkavar]

Seeing the roof on the ship reminds me greatly of the Korean Turtle Ships. I suspect most here are familiar with them at least to some extent, but they were a sailing ship that featured an armoured roof with iron spikes on it to protect the crew from various small arms fire and to discourage boarders, allowing it to function as a cannon weapons platform while ignoring most methods of disrupting the operation of such a ship. It was most famously used by Admiral Yu Sun-sin in the 1590s to repel Japanese invaders. Japanese naval doctrine was particularly light on the use of cannons, preferring the use of arrows, muskets and boarding parties, so they were playing exactly to the strengths of these Korean ships. Korea didn't have many of these ships - their military had suffered from neglect due to a long period of peace and the roof structure would have been a substantial increase in cost, but the ones they had were pretty much impervious to everything the Japanese were throwing at them. If you're not familiar with that bit of naval history, I highly recommend doing some reading on the subject. There's some very impressive stories to find.

[@milferdjones2573]

Admiral Yu Sun totally amazing wining against horrible odds over and over with cleaver tactics as well as equipment. Yes Japanese were very into honor of hand to hand combat and were way better at it than the Koreans. Still with somewhat smarter commander's Or anyone but Admiral Yu in command they would have won.

[@mahbriggs]

Definitely on my bucket list of things to see and do when I visit the British Isles!

[@timengineman2nd714]

Drach, may I suggest that next time you are walking where there is low overhead areas that you do the same "trick" that I discovered. As you walk put your hand on the low beam, valve handle, the door (or hatch) coaming. This helps you to naturally duck!!! You already know, by touch, the maximum vertical distance!

[@pcka12]

Good to see Unicorn again, happy memories of 4 plus years in Dundee!

[@Vinemaple]

Personally, I love, love, LOVE the sound of water sloshing against a ship's hull. It's one of my favorite things about living or working aboard a ship.

[@koboldprime2257]

*NARWHALS NARWHALS* , swimming in the oceans causing a commotion *CAUSE THEY ARE SO AWESOME!*

[@jamesgoacher1606]

I found this episode absorbing and the time flew by watching Thank you. I often refret not visiting HMS Trincomalee some twenty years ago now when I was passing it every day to and from a job I was doing at the time. Senior moment slipped in and I had to google to remember where it was I was working. It looked just a tad different to what you have here though :-). I also recall being surprised it was a Frigate when I looked in the areas guide thing cos it towered over the surrounding area. Regarding the Deck height, people were a little shorter a couple of hundred years ago but not midgets.

[@milferdjones2573]

That the average person there still were really tall people. Some Kings even collected tall people and short people and in most cases treated them well in the Palace complex. George Washington 6'2" and Peter the Great was 6'8" In late 1600's early 1700's.

[@Perktube1]

Well done, I say. You've provided a veritable broadside of information to us viewers.

[@SteamboatWilley]

I just love those bay windows round the Captain's cabin. It's a beautiful design.

[@mickbrown7793]

the Unicorn was the first historic vessel I visited, perhaps 30 years ago. I think I may still have the guide book from the occasion.

[@Blacksheep1968]

Went to visit Unicorn in the Early 90s. Awesome that some have been saved.

[@the_victorious_1]

EDIT: Nevermind it was Trincomalee I remember going around Unicorn when I was young, I can't remember much but it was interesting.

[@jadall77]

The Iron strapping is cool. I was just reading about how it helped shipping/passenger service because you got quite a bit more room it replaces a lot of interior space that would have been taken by support with wood. probably also allowed that round stern.

[@cp1cupcake]

That bit at the end regarding Victorian engineering lasting, much of the power grid in the US dates back to around WW1. There has been a push to replace a lot of the infrastructure, like transformers, with components which have lower losses. The new transformers last a decade or two; the old transformers are still in mind condition despite ~100 years of use. In a similar vein, what happens when you use a low power incandescent bulb? You run the sellers out of business because the bulbs don't blow out.

[@milferdjones2573]

Well in case of the bulbs they just too low power to what people wanted them to do as you need whole banks of them to get enough light. Reminds of all the steel reinforced stuff we build. Sooner or later water gets in and the steel rusts and busts the concrete we just put no value in stuff lasting. Need at least the Roman trick for that let the Rich/Ruler who get it built put there name on it with contracts that as long as it stands there name stays on it and it will never be torn down. Thus they built to last a very very long time still have two standing concrete buildings I know about in Rome that are intact at near 2,000 years now. And lots of the others including the Colosseum still be intact except for stealing the stone to build newer stuff.

[@rolfs2165]

Yeah, the Centennial Bulb might have lasted a long time, but it produces barely any light. If you under-run an incandescent light bulb, you just further shift the ratio towards infrared instead of visible radiation - it's basically like trying to illuminate your home with space heaters.

[@noahschmartz2354]

this was brilliant, to watch someone who so clearly knows what he is talking about on an actual example of his subject matter.

[@alexhayden2303]

Imagine those little cabins with massive oak Knees intruding! Hurrah!! For wrought iron!

[@jackray1337]

Thank you for this great video. I really like how you show and explain the lower area at 36:00. I learned a lot from this.

[@ESmith-ik8vu]

Thank you for this one. I sincerely think it's one of your finer videos, and that is quite some praise. To me even more so because of the ship itself. Pestered with the choice between HMS's Victory and Unicorn, I'd go to Dundee. If we'd had oak left in Denmark in 1814, our warships probably would have been something like the Unicorn.

[@chronus4421]

Great video, thanks Drach!

[@jackfox9082]

I boarded HMS Unicorn in the summer of 1981 while I was hitchhiking around Scotland. As mentioned she had recently undergone some restoration. As I recall there were very few artifacts on board then and there was talk of outfitting here with masts for the first time if enough money could be raised. Good to see she is still in good shape.

[@davidsachs4883]

Concerning height of decks Read a book on a napoleonic era royal 74 gun ship. One of her captains came from a scientific minded family and recorded the heights of all the crew. Several, presumably boys, were under five feet (152 cm). The tallest crew was still under six foot (183 cm). So there weren’t tall crew on a ship that would have had twice the crew of a frigate

[@khaelamensha3624]

The only comfortable place for a 6 feet guy is the crow s nest 😂

[@rogersmith7396]

As I recall below decks on Constitution was very short, maybe shorter than this one.

[@68RatVette]

Very nice vid DRACH! Thanks for your efforts! The curved oak for the knees were in dire short supply. Enter metal "hanging knees" (vertical braces, seen in most of the pics) holds the beam to hold the deck above, and "lodging knees" that are horizontal, hold the cross beams square. A great book to read is FORESTS AND SEA POWER by Albion, an interesting Harvard Economic Study from 1926 (?) by Albion. The book covers from the King's Survey of 15xx to near modern times.You'd think this would be a boring, dry book, but I was engrossed in this valuable book and read it over a few evenings. The timber trade can be compared to the more modern oil trade. You can imagine the importance of the American Colonies and Eastern Canada back then (as well as denial of assets that your enemies might covet. Domestic species were preferred, but the competition for ship building lumber was fierce when you consider needs of the RN as well as the massive commercial fleet in the Empire! . IN 2019, two friends and my son and a brother visited the UK. We naturally made the trek to visit the HMS Victory. I have visited the USS Constitution in Boston several years back. The Constitution featured several diagonal risers in the design to prevent hogging. Quite a few different things for the UNICORN compared to the Victory and the Constitution. Then toured the HMS Warrior to see that huge jump in technology.. Have visited quite a few of the WW2 ships also.

[@stephengardiner9867]

If I am not mistaken, the WWII HMS Unicorn served on into the Korean War and is unique, amongst all aircraft carriers that ever served in any nation, in having engaged a North Korean coastal artillery battery with her own main AA battery.

[@notshapedforsportivetricks2912]

I understand that HMS Formidable was keen to give it a go at Matapan, but ABC put his foot down.

[@bebo4374]

I found his use of the words “ceiling “ and “walls” quite amusing for someone so immersed in naval history.

[@robertakerson7186]

Mr. Drachinifel- Thanks for this fine and instructive tour! I especially gained a good understanding of something I had read in fiction: that the naval officers had been granted a special dispensation to drink toasts to the King while sitting down. Bob

[@keithtarrier4558]

This was great!! If/when I can get back to the UK, I will try go have a look, if it is open at the time. I wanna tour/drive around Scotland in the summer for a few weeks.

[@mdcampbell7360]

We stayed a night at the Apex in Dundee during our trip to Scotland & could see HMS Unicorn from our room. We didn't have time to visit, however, that time was allotted to RRS Discovery.

[@dalerutherford4529]

Hope you had a good time in Dundee, did you get a chance to look at the Discovery? Not a warship but still interesting.

[@johnbeauvais3159]

So when you said that a ship in ordinary is basically good forever, you weren’t kidding!

[@whya2ndaccount]

33:00 Hence the requirement for the Loyal Toast sitting down.

[@marvwatkins7029]

OMG! Drach's actually showing himself!!

[@aidanfarnan4683]

*U Boat captain, 1945:* "The war is going poorly for us, Hanz, let's surrender." *Hanz:* "Okay, but can we surrender to a wildly weird historical oddity?" *U Boat captain, 1945:* "Of course!"

[@SSN515]

That's a pretty wild story, but I guess if you don't want to get shot at or blown out of the water, you surrender to the first RN Flagged ship you find.

[@mxaxai9266]

The surrender was on 14 May '45, after the formal surrender of Germany in the war. But still a good story to tell. U-2326 would later end up in French service and sink in 1946 (in an accident).

[@kentvesser9484]

Hanz wanted to buy a pickup truck and live in Montana, but he was shot by the Gestapo member of the crew right before the surrender.

[@SSN515]

@@kentvesser9484 Sad story. He was looking forward to getting married to a fat American wife who would cook him rabbits.

[@AliasAlias-nm9df]

@@kentvesser9484 "i would like to have see montana..."

[@tedmiles2110]

The exploration bark HMS Discovery is also in Dundee; making it the very rare, two sailing vessel city. TM retired but still interested.

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

Awesome... Now this is an awesome video... Awesome job Drach... Good stuff. Good stuff