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Ground Swell
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The painting shows the little Bude built, two masted tops'l schooner Annie Davey standing across Mounts Bay towards Penzance from the Lizard.
There is only a slight breeze but the groundswell, which is seldom quiet in this area, is, as usual, rolling in from the South West and causing her to roll and wallow. Preventer tackles or kicking straps are rigged to both fore and main booms to prevent them swinging about.
An interesting feature of the Annie Davey was that her lower tops'l had standing lifts and the upper tops'l was rigged Polacca fashion. The Polacca rig (which originated in the Mediterranean), having much to commend it, was adopted in the little brigs and brigantines in the Bristol Channel late in the 1700s. It is interesting to note how, as late as 1872 when the Annie Davey was built, the detail of the Polacca method has been incorporated into this up to date type.
This was, however, a period of innovation and experimentation. It started just before the 1800s when tradition was at last put aside, and continued for a hundred fascinating years, producing efficient little vessels like the Annie Davey which survived until steam took over.
Groundswell occurs when oceanic waves move into steadily shoaling water. It may not be recognised when there is a fresh breeze with attendant sea conditions, but when the wind falls away light and swell persists, it is usually groundswell.
As the oceanic swell moves into the shoaler water, its height, length and speed diminish appropriately, but the waves assemble themselves in a more uniform and regimented pattern than normal sea waves and this is the characteristic of ground swell. Strangely, as they reach really shallow water, the wave length fails to reduce at the same rate and becomes disproportionately long in relation to the height. This may often be noted close inshore, where the waves advance in orderly rows and are widely separated from one another by a level patch.
Curiously, areas of similar characteristics exposed to the same oceanic swell do not produce the same degree of ground swell, a typical example being the western end of the English Channel and the Bristol Channel. With light winds, groundswell could present difficulties aboard a sailing vessel. Without the steadying influence of the wind, the swell could cause the ship to roll about so violently that she might well sustain damage aloft unless all was bowsed snug. Also, with the gear slamming and slatting about, a careful watch would have to be kept to guard against excessive chaffe.
Literature : John Chancellor's Classic Maritime Paintings - Austin Hawkins & Rita Chancellor - pages 46/47
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