J'OCAMOJVTAS . 



Lines of the New England Merchant Brigs Powhatan and Pocahontas, built at Nevvburyport, Massachusetts, 

 1 829-30. An example of a model of burdensome freighting vessels favored in New England before the days of 

 the clipper ships. Taken off the builder's half-model USNM 76060. 



feet 6 inches moulded beam, and 10 feet moulded 

 depth. Scale is ]i inch to the foot. 



Given by John N. Gushing, Newburyport, Massa- 

 chusetts. 



MERCHANT BRIGANTINE, 1825 

 Builder's Half-Model, usnm 76070 



Thomas Harwood built a merchant brigantine, 

 name unknown, on this model at Bath, Maine, in 

 1825 for the West Indian sugar trade. Vessels built 

 in Maine for this trade usually had short, high 

 quarterdecks with a trunk cabin let into them so that 

 the cabin sole, or floor, was at main deck level. The 

 crew's quarters were in a small deckhouse abaft the 

 foremast. Because the main deck was much lower 

 than the quarterdeck, these vessels were referred to 

 as "low-decked" in Maine shipyards. The bulwarks 

 were high, permitting large deck-loads, so the low- 

 decked vessels were popular in the Maine lumber 

 trade. Since lumber was the usual southbound cargo 

 in the Maine-owned West Indiamen, the vessels 

 built for the sugar and molasses trade were commonly 

 of this description. 



The name "barrel bottom" was sometimes applied 

 to such a vessel; some sailed well, particularly in light 

 and moderate winds, but usually they would not 

 carry sail well in a fresh breeze. 



The half-model shows a burdensome vessel having 

 marked sheer, a straight keel with little or no drag. 



curved and slightly raking stem rabbet, slightly 

 raking post, round tuck, upper-and-lowcr-transom 

 square stern, and a short entrance and run. The 

 midsection is formed with a slightly rising straight 

 floor, well-rounded slack bilge, and an upright topside. 

 The model is for a brigantine 91 feet in moulded 

 length at rail, 22 feet moulded beam, and 9 feet 

 moulded depth. Scale of the model is |.) inch to 

 the foot. 



Given by William P. Pattee, shipbuilder, Bath, 

 Maine. 



MERCHANT BRIG, 1829 

 Builder's Half-Model, usnm 76060 



Powhatan, Pocahontas 



John N. Gushing, Sr., was a very successful mer- 

 chant and shipowner of Newburyport, Massachusetts, 

 who became prominent, after the War of 1812, as the 

 operator of a large fleet of merchant vessels, the 

 larger portion of which were full-rigged brigs. He 

 engaged in the general ocean carrying trade and 

 most of his vessels were employed in freighting out of 

 Newburyport to Europe, the West Indies, and South 

 America. Early in his career he decided that only 

 burdensome vessels were profitable and began to 

 have brigs built, and later barks and ships, that were 

 extreme in design in this respect. The pioneer of the 

 extremely burdensome brigs, in his fleet, were the 



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