Wreck OD5 Double Shaloupe 1737 2

One of wrecks 1737 near Khortitsa island (Ukraine). In 1736, after consulting with Cossacks, Field Marshal von Münnich makes a preliminary sketch and suggests to build boats in the manner of Zaporijjia DOUB or Turkish Scherboat. The main thing that interested the army commander was the draught. The boats were supposed to pass the rapids of the Dnipro river, but at the same time to have powerful artillery. Von Münnich even anticipated Chapman's canon yawls (the Swedish shipwright was 15 years old at that time), but the idea was not implemented and the regimental cannons were replaced with falconets. In a sense, the situation was similar to the beginning of the Anglo-Dutch wars of the 17th century, when the Dutch built relatively small-sized ships with small draught. As a result the massive construction of James Brown's double-chaloupes and Andrei Alatchenin’s new-type Cossack boats took place. During the first years of the war, more than 500 units were built here.