Q&A ยท 36:29-37:06

How large a wooden warship could practical shipbuilding sustain?

The largest mid-nineteenth-century ships of the line are the suggested practical limit, with a tentative recollection of batteries around 160 guns.

Question

What was the largest practical wooden warship that could be built?

Short answer

Probably something like the largest mid-nineteenth-century ships of the line, with some recalled as carrying around 160 guns.

Notes

The very large ships of the line built around the middle of the nineteenth century are considered the likely practical limit. Some are recalled as carrying around 160 guns, with uncertainty about the exact figure. This is a historical comparison; maximum hull dimensions and structural strength are not calculated.