How high above the water were HMS Victory's lower gunports?
Short answerAbout four feet six inches, or roughly 1.4 metres, above the waterline.
NotesHMS Victory had roughly four feet six inches, or 1.4 metres, between the waterline and the lower edge of the lower-deck gunports. That small margin explains why freeboard appears repeatedly in discussions of stability and armament. A ship carrying many heavy guns still had to keep the lowest battery usable in a seaway. The measurement gives a physical scale to an otherwise abstract design tradeoff.