"How frequent were ramming attacks in the Age of Sail?" Topic

Interesting…

"It seems like a ship of the line was a pretty significant investment, and repairs expensive and unreliable. Were captains really that gung-ho, or has the tactic been romanticized for its awesome factor?…"

See here
link

Amicalement
Armand

Keep in mind also that, under battle sail, a line-of-battle ship in typically light or moderate wind conditions was capable of perhaps 3 knots – a brisk walking pace. And I believe, from my readings on the subject, that any collisions between ships, even of a purposeful nature, were attended by throwing sails aback or letting the braces fly in order to take way off the ship. A collision at speed would not only have risked great damage to the bow, but it would also have placed the bowsprit, jib boom and even the fore mast in great jeopardy; loss of the bowsprit alone would have effectively crippled the maneuverability of the ship.

To get an idea of the potential consequences of even an accidental collision under light wind conditions, consider the experience of the French 74 ZELE immediately preceding the Battle of the Saintes.

B

I don't think I've ever seen a ramming attack in any movie or game I can think of.