Architectura Navalis Mercatoria: The Classic of Eighteenth-Century Naval Architecture (Dover Maritime)

Fredric Henric af Chapman (September 9, 1721 in Gothenburg - August 19, 1808) was a Swedish naval ship architect, promoted to vice admiral in 1791, manager of the shipyard at Karlskrona between 1782-1793. Fredric Henric af Chapman might be the greatest naval architect of the eighteenth century.At the age of 10, he already designed his first ship. At the age of 15, Chapman moved to Stockholm to learn the art of shipbuilding, during a visit to England in 1741 he was arrested when visiting a shipyard. Upon release, he was offered English service, which he declined. In 1744 he and another person established a shipyard in Gothenburg. Between 1752-56 he studied abroad. In 1757 he was commissioned as a junior shipwright by the Royal Swedish Navy and tasked with designing a couple of shallow draft vessels for the Finnish archipelago or coastal fleet. 1764 he was promoted to senior shipwright.Chapman's great interest in the theoretical aspects of naval architecture and his desire to transform shipbuilding from a trade into a science led him to produce a large number of treatises and other publications, of which the best known internationally is Architectura Navalis Mercatoria. First published in 1768, Architectura Navalis Mercatoria eye-opening collection of sophisticated line drawings is a fascinating look at the maritime world of the 18th century, documenting merchant and naval ships from various countries. When first published, this work only included the line drawings. Later, Chapman added the additional sections related to the scientific design of ships.Dover's edition of this work presents sophisticated lines drawings of over 70 ships. Other drawings and the companion text discusses tank testing of submerged bodies of various shapes, and the accompanying mathematics the author is using to explain some of his studies reach into calculus. The 70 different illustrations chart vessel dimensions, crew size, storage capabilities, and rigging. Additional drawing include line drawings of ships boats, three different methods for launching ships, and sail plans for various ship types.As someone who has spent a lot of time lately studying Age of Sail ships, the Architectura Navalis Mercatoria contains the finest set of line drawings of ships of the 18th Century. You will find line drawings of galleys, merchant ships, privateers, and warships. Some of the drawings simply lay out a basic design for a type of ship (Katt, Hekboat, Frigate, etc...). Some of the plans are draughts of actual ships like the privateer Neptunas.Although these plans can be found on the internet, this book will be an indispensable treatise for model builders, naval historians, and maritime enthusiasts. Anyone with a strong interest in shipbuilding in the 18th Century will love this book. I've often found myself spending hours looking over the various plans. I was worried about the size of this book when I orginally heard that Dover planned to publish.Dover Books was kind enough to respond to my question with the following:"Thank you for your patience. I have confirmed with our reprint editor that our edition of "Architectura Navalis Mercatoria: The Classic of Eighteenth-Century Naval Architecture" will be sized 9 3/8" x 12 1/4". He also indicated that the page size we're using is the largest size we can do with the printing equipment we normally use--beyond that size it not only gets much more expensive but becomes a problem as most bookstores don't have shelves bigger than that (some don't have shelves that size) and they won't order it if they can't store it. Also, we have a good source for the plates and they will be readable."A great companion book to go with this book would be: F.H. Chapman: The First Naval Architect and His Work

I have wanted a copy of this book for many years but, until the Dover edition, the cost was too high.Fredrik Hendrik af Chapman was probably the first to try to put ship design on a scientific basis and to publish a work on ship design.The book is primarily a summary of hull design for merchant ships and privateers/warships (up to 40-gun frigates) in the mid-eighteenth century.The front of the book has a facsimile of the original index of the drawings. I found it quite informative, but only after I spent an hour going back and forth between index and drawings.There are 59 "plates" or pages of hull drawings, showing the "lines" (waterlines, sections, buttocks) and the upper part of the outboard profile (generally above the wale). Each plate has three scales labeled "S", "E", and "F" which may indicate Swedish, English and Flemish (Dutch) units of measure.There are three other plates: a plate with inboard profile, sections, and decks of a 40-gun frigate (a privateer), a plate showing three methods of launching (French, English, and Dutch) and a plate showing 24 different rigs: "Several Figures, Reprefenting the different manners of Rigging, which are moft in ufc in the Northern Contrys" (the index is from the original English translation).The last part of the book (27 pages) is Chapman's text on ship design. It is a difficult read, even after translation to English with modern spelling. However, it is quite informative, and contains information about such things as the sizes of spars, hull dimensions, how displacement was calculated, etc.If you want information about the design of eighteenth-century ships, this is an excellent book.

This is a modern reprint of a celebrated classic. Frederik Henrik Chapman was the first analytical ship designer, in that he took a skill that was previously the domain of master shipwrights and formalised it in a rational scientific way that formed the basis of all Naval Architecture ever since.While the text may be a bit heavy going for anyone but the dedicated enthusiast, the book is overwhelmingly worth it for the wonderful illustrations that make up 75% of the book: the lines plans and the virtuoso perspective drawings that have not been surpassed since.It is a fascinating insight into the state of the art of ship design in the 17th century, and a beautiful book as well.

This book was originally published by a Swedish naval architect who formally replicated the lines of many ships for comparison purposes in his studies of what makes a good ship. The ships studied came from the late 1600's and the early 1700's and the designs of future ships were evolved from Henrik af Chapman's drawings. This was the beginning of the serious study of the art and science of naval architecture This is a facsimile edition of the original and is faithful to the lines as prepared originally by Chapman. This is a book for those who love comparing various sailing ships Thank you Dover Publishing.

Me interessa la construccion de fregates

I wanted so long to get this book, a classic in the know "shipbuilding". It is well printed, and prints are choice, but lacked an explanation of each plant is, or has the plants, but does not explain what type of vessel or boat they represent. If the reader has no prior knowledge he can hardly identify each boat represented there. The text is great. In short, the book is worth, but recommend it to anyone who has a prior knowledge of the subject.

VERY quick delivery. Just as described. Good job.

This book is great, it has 70 plates, all exquisitely drawn of all different types of boats, as well as an incredibly detailed section of mathematics of the design of boats. Keep in mind, however, that none of the plans are detailed enough to make a model of, and this should be kept in mind when buying it.

This is a wonderful reproduction of 17 century ship designers plates, with a type and detail plate in the front listing all the plates and dimensions, as well as number and type of armament.. It's like a model sailboat builders bible.

Quite disappointed with this one. I'm quite interested in how these ship were constructed. Unfortunately in this book it's literally just drawing after drawing of various ship designs. It doesn't go into any other detail at all.

It’s full of information for your ‘inner’ sailor.

Yet another useful technical manual

just what i wanted excellent condition and one day early great.