I decided to change the format of this painting from a "folk art"representation to a more realistic version. I researched this topic heavily and learned much about sailing these dreadnoughts of their time. Sails were made of hemp ( in America, colonists were required to grow it ), so sails were not made of white cotton. Performing the duty of an able seaman or officer was a highly skilled profession, of which is so complex I can't do it justice here, and being an art blog, it isn't necessary.
