# How close to the wind could the old square-riggers sail?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-to-the-wind-could-the-old-square-riggers-sail/79274>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 1, 2001, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-to-the-wind-could-the-old-square-riggers-sail/79274 "2001-09-01T08:25:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-to-the-wind-could-the-old-square-riggers-sail/79274/21 "2001-09-03T17:00:27Z")

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As noted, even the bare poles are subject to wind. A ship aground is already being buffeted by the waves, add to that continued pressure from the masts (with the lever action they exert on the hull because it cannot move) and you get a serious strain on the hull.

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**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-to-the-wind-could-the-old-square-riggers-sail/79274/22 "2001-09-03T17:45:55Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by **sailor** _  
> bashere, you are thinking of hull speed which is dependent mainly on waterline length and also on hull shape but this is a theoretical _maximum_ speed and in no way indicates the ship will go that fast or even close.

Yep, I just calculated hull speed to get that number. While I certainly agree that there is no guarentee that the Suprise could achieve that speed, I’d find it, err, suprising if a british frigate wasn’t a fast ship. I’d guess that she’d get close. And I’d be willing to bet that she’d do a lot more than 8 mph.

O’Brian has the Surprise do 16 knots once or twice, and I find that a little unlikely (although perhaps not impossible). 14 or 15 knots seemed like a pretty good guess for top speed - do you think it is an out-of-line number?

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