Hooker is a two-mast sailboat with a broad head and rounded stern. Initially ships of this type were built in Holland as fishing boats but later they came into use for military purposes to implement nonoperational missions: patrol duty, reconnaissance, and cargo transportation. Occasionally artillery guns were placed on these ships to enable their response to enemy attacks.
In the Russian Empire, ships of this type came into use at the beginning of 18th on the insistence of Emperor Peter the Great. Hookers were both bought abroad and copied by national wharves. They were widely used as transport vessels in merchant marine. Authorities could requisition them for combat duty if necessary. In the documents of Peter epoch these ships were called ‘boats of new manner’: they were classified as river-sea vessels, while the boats of ‘old manner’ could navigate in rivers only.
Hookers were more expensive than conventional vessels and not always convenient for commercial fishery. Not many entrepreneurs wished to operate them. Holy Archangel Michael belonged to Vasily Dorofeyevich Lomonosov, the father of Russian all-round scholar Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov. The certificate of Title issued to him by Governorate Office, stated that the vessel was built by peasant Trofim Medvedev in 1727 in Kurostrov Volost (sub-district) of Dvina Uyezd (district). Characteristics of the ship were listed as follows: ‘length at keel fifty one feet, breadth seventeen feet, depth eight feet’.
In metric calculation, the length of Holy Archangel Michael was fifteen and a half meters, breadth – five meters twenty cantimeters, and depth of the hold was two and a half meters. The following was stated on cargo carrying capacity: ‘She has forty five lasts when laden’. The ‘last’ is Dutch capacity measure approximately equal to 2 tons. Hence, the vessel could transport about 90 tons.
In her first voyage, Holy Archangel Michael sailed to Kola Ostrog (stockade). She brought provision there and sailed to return trip with cargo of spermacet, whale oil used for candle making.
After that, the ship visited Murman fisheries along the White Sea and Arctic Ocean shores, sailed to Pustozersk, Solovetsky Monastery, Kola, and Kildin at the coast of Lapland.
Vasily Lomonosov was not mentioned as Skipper of the boat. He was probably her owner only, while all the crew was hired.
In the Russian Empire, ships of this type came into use at the beginning of 18th on the insistence of Emperor Peter the Great. Hookers were both bought abroad and copied by national wharves. They were widely used as transport vessels in merchant marine. Authorities could requisition them for combat duty if necessary. In the documents of Peter epoch these ships were called ‘boats of new manner’: they were classified as river-sea vessels, while the boats of ‘old manner’ could navigate in rivers only.
Hookers were more expensive than conventional vessels and not always convenient for commercial fishery. Not many entrepreneurs wished to operate them. Holy Archangel Michael belonged to Vasily Dorofeyevich Lomonosov, the father of Russian all-round scholar Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov. The certificate of Title issued to him by Governorate Office, stated that the vessel was built by peasant Trofim Medvedev in 1727 in Kurostrov Volost (sub-district) of Dvina Uyezd (district). Characteristics of the ship were listed as follows: ‘length at keel fifty one feet, breadth seventeen feet, depth eight feet’.
In metric calculation, the length of Holy Archangel Michael was fifteen and a half meters, breadth – five meters twenty cantimeters, and depth of the hold was two and a half meters. The following was stated on cargo carrying capacity: ‘She has forty five lasts when laden’. The ‘last’ is Dutch capacity measure approximately equal to 2 tons. Hence, the vessel could transport about 90 tons.
In her first voyage, Holy Archangel Michael sailed to Kola Ostrog (stockade). She brought provision there and sailed to return trip with cargo of spermacet, whale oil used for candle making.
After that, the ship visited Murman fisheries along the White Sea and Arctic Ocean shores, sailed to Pustozersk, Solovetsky Monastery, Kola, and Kildin at the coast of Lapland.
Vasily Lomonosov was not mentioned as Skipper of the boat. He was probably her owner only, while all the crew was hired.
