Selecting a large tree was only the beginning: timber had to be transported, stored, and seasoned so that shrinkage and decay did not undermine the hull. Brining experiments and the large spaces devoted to mast ponds, timber stacks, and rope manufacture reveal the scale of the work. Chatham's surviving ropewalk outlived the age that created it by continuing to serve commercial demand. Masts could spend years in controlled ponds, requiring regular inspection and removal when a piece of timber began to spoil.
Chapter · 48:40-55:21
Timber, rope, and stores constrain wooden warship construction
Growing warships required suitable trees, seasoned timber, immense quantities of rope, and facilities able to prepare and store both.