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Icelander · 11-12-2008, 03:18 PM

Holks

Holks were a type of medieval sea craft somewhat similar to a cog and appear to have mostly replaced them during the 15th century. Many sources, however, still refer to holks as cogs or improved cogs and there is little archaeological evidence of precisely what the holks looked like. Their basic shape appears to have been a wide and heavy cargo vessel with curved stem and stern, making for a distinctive banana-like profile. They had the same kind of high castles as found on the cogs and the freeboard was similarly high. Later types of holks used a sail-plan that is identified with the vessel, a foremast with a square sail and a lateen sail aft, maybe with a square-rigged mainsail if the vessel was three-masted.

The ancestors of the holks were probably river or canal boats known as hulcs, reverse-clinker built and tracing its ancestry far into the past. At first not well adapted for deep sea travel, the vessel type was already quite advanced from its roots when carvel-built technology appeared in northwest Europe. Makers of hulcs were well placed to adopt the new method for their vessel and the resulting hull type is now known as the holk.

In the fourteenth century the holk existed alongside the cog. The divergent lines of development eventually led to the holk rivalling and eventually supplanting the cog as a major load carrier in the medieval economy, but the causes of that remain obscure. Certainly it is possible, as here is posited, that the carvel construction adopted for holks was better adapted to building larger and stronger hulls than the old clinker-built method. But it is far from certain, and in any event, some later cogs were built with a similar method combined with clinker-built techniques. But whatever the reason for the change, much of northwest Europe used the holk as its primary transport vessel until the advent of caravels and carracks. Even then, elements of holk design found their way into the design of those carracks and thereby later ships such as the galleon and full-rigged ships of the line.

Optional Modifiers: The weakest points of a holk’s hull would be the stem and stern. The usual solution was the support it with clinker-built additions, but these areas would still remain weaker than the carvel-built main hull and keel. Since the structure of most hulls tends to reinforce the stem, the frontal DR of the vessel is unaffected, but the lower DR given applies to the stern as well as the thinner superstructure decking.

While they were better sailors than their predecessors, the cogs, Holks still had a very high centre of gravity. A gale blowing from the side should penalise SR by -1. All holks with two or more masts have one lateen sail which aids them in sailing to windward, but the speed on that tack is still less than that of a completely lateen-rigged vessel or a later ship-rig.

Holk, Early (70‘)
TL: 3
ST/HP: 172†
Hnd/SR: -3/4
HT: 12c
Move: 0.1/4
EWt: 40t
LWt: 97t
Load: 57t
SM: +7
Occ: 14
DR: 15/8
Range: -
Cost: $41K
Locations: M, O, 2S
Draft: 7‘

A contemporary of the cog, this holk is a single-masted vessel that there is no clear reason to prefer over a cog of similar size. It is not much faster than a normal cog and the hull is only slightly stronger for its weight. But it is nevertheless competitive with the best vessels of the day, depending on the personal tastes of captain and craftsman.

Optional Modifiers: A square sail makes it difficult to sail into the wind. Hnd is -1 to windward and speed is slower than a vessel with a lateen-sail or a full rig.

Holk, Transitional (85‘)
TL: 3
ST/HP: 221†
Hnd/SR: -3/4
HT: 12c
Move: 0.15/4.5
EWt: 84t
LWt: 204t
Load: 120t
SM: +7
Occ: 16
DR: 20/10
Range: -
Cost: $82K
Locations: 2M, O, 2S
Draft: 8‘

This is a two-masted vessel that appeared near the turn of the 14th and 15th century. As such, it is marked TL 3, but continued in use during TL4. It is a reliable cargo hauler with uninspiring lines by later standards, but it can carry a lot of cargo for little cost and sails faster and better than a typical cog. It was during this time that the cogs started to be overshadowed.

The castles of this vessel are not particularly large compared to some cogs or even later holks. Nevertheless, the ship can carry enough soldiers in a pinch to make it a viable warship, especially in the absence of effective artillery.

Holk, Medium (98‘)
TL: 4
ST/HP: 230†
Hnd/SR: -3/4
HT: 12c
Move: 0.15/5
EWt: 95t
LWt: 245t
Load: 150t
SM: +8
Occ: 20
DR: 20/10
Range: -
Cost: $90K
Locations: 3M, O, 2S
Draft: 10‘

If the earlier holks overshadowed cogs somewhat, this vessel is a clear advancement in its size category. It is fast and handy, but doesn’t require a crew much larger than a cog, and it can transport a similar amount of cargo. If not for the top-heavy design, the voyages of discovery could have been taken somewhat earlier and in holks instead of caravels.

While the speed and weatherly qualities of this vessel would seem desirable in a man of war, they were incompatible with the higher castles of purpose-built warships of the era.

Holk, Large (120‘)
TL: 4
ST/HP: 275†
Hnd/SR: -3/4
HT: 12c
Move: 0.1/4.25
EWt: 163t
LWt: 408t
Load: 245t
SM: +8
Occ: 25
DR: 20/10
Range: -
Cost: $160K
Locations: 3M, O, 2S
Draft: 10‘

A bulk hauler in the style of the largest cogs, this vessel was responsible for a drop in prices of imported wine and other goods from abroad in northern Europe. While neither as sturdy nor are large as the carrack, this vessel transported an extremely high proportion of cargo to its lightweight, as well as requiring a crew that was not much larger than that of other roundships of the day.

War Holk (120‘)
TL: 4
ST/HP: 301†
Hnd/SR: -3/4
HT: 13c
Move: 0.1/4
EWt: 213t
LWt: 413t
Load: 200t
SM: +8
Occ: 30+160
DR: 25/12
Range: -
Cost: $190K
Locations: 3M, O, 2S
Draft: 10‘

This is a purpose built warship based on the large holk. It has a strengthened hull and taller castles, with accommodations for a large number of warriors. The later carrack is essentially a combination of hull shapes from the Mediterranean with the deck arrangement of ships like this. Its weakness lies in its lack of speed and the high centre of gravity, as with other cogs and holks.

© 2008 Garðar Steinn Ólafsson
All rights reserved.

11-12-2008, 03:18 PM	#40
Icelander Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Iceland*	Re: Sailing Ships -At least until CCoI (Low-Tech) arrives Holks Holks were a type of medieval sea craft somewhat similar to a cog and appear to have mostly replaced them during the 15th century. Many sources, however, still refer to holks as cogs or improved cogs and there is little archaeological evidence of precisely what the holks looked like. Their basic shape appears to have been a wide and heavy cargo vessel with curved stem and stern, making for a distinctive banana-like profile. They had the same kind of high castles as found on the cogs and the freeboard was similarly high. Later types of holks used a sail-plan that is identified with the vessel, a foremast with a square sail and a lateen sail aft, maybe with a square-rigged mainsail if the vessel was three-masted. The ancestors of the holks were probably river or canal boats known as hulcs, reverse-clinker built and tracing its ancestry far into the past. At first not well adapted for deep sea travel, the vessel type was already quite advanced from its roots when carvel-built technology appeared in northwest Europe. Makers of hulcs were well placed to adopt the new method for their vessel and the resulting hull type is now known as the holk. In the fourteenth century the holk existed alongside the cog. The divergent lines of development eventually led to the holk rivalling and eventually supplanting the cog as a major load carrier in the medieval economy, but the causes of that remain obscure. Certainly it is possible, as here is posited, that the carvel construction adopted for holks was better adapted to building larger and stronger hulls than the old clinker-built method. But it is far from certain, and in any event, some later cogs were built with a similar method combined with clinker-built techniques. But whatever the reason for the change, much of northwest Europe used the holk as its primary transport vessel until the advent of caravels and carracks. Even then, elements of holk design found their way into the design of those carracks and thereby later ships such as the galleon and full-rigged ships of the line. Optional Modifiers: The weakest points of a holk’s hull would be the stem and stern. The usual solution was the support it with clinker-built additions, but these areas would still remain weaker than the carvel-built main hull and keel. Since the structure of most hulls tends to reinforce the stem, the frontal DR of the vessel is unaffected, but the lower DR given applies to the stern as well as the thinner superstructure decking. While they were better sailors than their predecessors, the cogs, Holks still had a very high centre of gravity. A gale blowing from the side should penalise SR by -1. All holks with two or more masts have one lateen sail which aids them in sailing to windward, but the speed on that tack is still less than that of a completely lateen-rigged vessel or a later ship-rig. Holk, Early (70‘) TL: 3 ST/HP: 172† Hnd/SR: -3/4 HT: 12c Move: 0.1/4 EWt: 40t LWt: 97t Load: 57t SM: +7 Occ: 14 DR: 15/8 Range: - Cost: $41K Locations: M, O, 2S Draft: 7‘ A contemporary of the cog, this holk is a single-masted vessel that there is no clear reason to prefer over a cog of similar size. It is not much faster than a normal cog and the hull is only slightly stronger for its weight. But it is nevertheless competitive with the best vessels of the day, depending on the personal tastes of captain and craftsman. Optional Modifiers: A square sail makes it difficult to sail into the wind. Hnd is -1 to windward and speed is slower than a vessel with a lateen-sail or a full rig. Holk, Transitional (85‘) TL: 3 ST/HP: 221† Hnd/SR: -3/4 HT: 12c Move: 0.15/4.5 EWt: 84t LWt: 204t Load: 120t SM: +7 Occ: 16 DR: 20/10 Range: - Cost: $82K Locations: 2M, O, 2S Draft: 8‘ This is a two-masted vessel that appeared near the turn of the 14th and 15th century. As such, it is marked TL 3, but continued in use during TL4. It is a reliable cargo hauler with uninspiring lines by later standards, but it can carry a lot of cargo for little cost and sails faster and better than a typical cog. It was during this time that the cogs started to be overshadowed. The castles of this vessel are not particularly large compared to some cogs or even later holks. Nevertheless, the ship can carry enough soldiers in a pinch to make it a viable warship, especially in the absence of effective artillery. Holk, Medium (98‘) TL: 4 ST/HP: 230† Hnd/SR: -3/4 HT: 12c Move: 0.15/5 EWt: 95t LWt: 245t Load: 150t SM: +8 Occ: 20 DR: 20/10 Range: - Cost: $90K Locations: 3M, O, 2S Draft: 10‘ If the earlier holks overshadowed cogs somewhat, this vessel is a clear advancement in its size category. It is fast and handy, but doesn’t require a crew much larger than a cog, and it can transport a similar amount of cargo. If not for the top-heavy design, the voyages of discovery could have been taken somewhat earlier and in holks instead of caravels. While the speed and weatherly qualities of this vessel would seem desirable in a man of war, they were incompatible with the higher castles of purpose-built warships of the era. Holk, Large (120‘) TL: 4 ST/HP: 275† Hnd/SR: -3/4 HT: 12c Move: 0.1/4.25 EWt: 163t LWt: 408t Load: 245t SM: +8 Occ: 25 DR: 20/10 Range: - Cost: $160K Locations: 3M, O, 2S Draft: 10‘ A bulk hauler in the style of the largest cogs, this vessel was responsible for a drop in prices of imported wine and other goods from abroad in northern Europe. While neither as sturdy nor are large as the carrack, this vessel transported an extremely high proportion of cargo to its lightweight, as well as requiring a crew that was not much larger than that of other roundships of the day. War Holk (120‘) TL: 4 ST/HP: 301† Hnd/SR: -3/4 HT: 13c Move: 0.1/4 EWt: 213t LWt: 413t Load: 200t SM: +8 Occ: 30+160 DR: 25/12 Range: - Cost: $190K Locations: 3M, O, 2S Draft: 10‘ This is a purpose built warship based on the large holk. It has a strengthened hull and taller castles, with accommodations for a large number of warriors. The later carrack is essentially a combination of hull shapes from the Mediterranean with the deck arrangement of ships like this. Its weakness lies in its lack of speed and the high centre of gravity, as with other cogs and holks. © 2008 Garðar Steinn Ólafsson All rights reserved. __________________ Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela! Last edited by Icelander; 11-20-2008 at 05:15 AM.