Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
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The Navy used the name:The Navy had one ship, 32 guns 5th rate Chatham May, 1679: another in 24 6th rate 1740 The Experiment (or Experimtt.) departed Barbados for London, England
http://english-america.com/spls/679ln012.html
The Experiment is “wot” it means, a ship with a double hull. 22 dec 1664 by John Evelyn “…I went to the Launching of a new ship of two bottomes, invented by Sir William Petty by a modell of Sir William Petty on which were various opinions: his Majestie present, gave the name Experiment: …”
No more removing a plank to let the water out or in.
Date confusion by JE or use of a temporary name for a non standard ship. curious?
Found An answer: at http://www.thoemmes.com/dictionaries/petty.htm
Sir Wm Petty: {mention in Diary]
“…At various times between 1662 and 1684 he designed four twin-hulled ships which were built and tested with varying success. His accounts of this were edited by the Marquess of Lansdowne and published in 1931…”
The Experiment.
“Charles had dicoursed for hours to Sir William Petty on the philosophy of shipping. In September 1662 the King launched a new type of ship with 2 bottoms, invented by Petty, which he aptly christened the Experiment. Later the King would tease Petty about his boat’s odd appearance. In vain Petty offered to lay odds for his ship against “the King’s best boats”: Charles refused to lay the bet and continued the teasing. Yet Petty, undiscouraged, built other double-bottomed boats, and made further experiments in naval design.”
(Antonia Fraser…King Charles II)
“…Early Sir G. Carteret, both Sir Williams and I on board the Experiment, to dispatch her away, she being to carry things to the Madeiras with the East Indy fleet…”
Does this fit the other above information?
17th Century Catamaran