The Mysterious Hulc

To be or not to be a cog: the Bremen Cog in perspective

“…For this type we are by now not much further advanced than cog research was half a century ago (Greenhill, 2000). A fresh start on this subject may be underway, however, with the ongoing re-examination of the Utrecht ship ( Van de Moortel, 2000a;2000b).…”

“…There are still many pages in the history of medieval seafaring to be filled by archaeologists in the future, including those describing the character of the medieval hulc-type. For this type we are by now not much further advanced than cog research was half a century ago (Greenhill, 2000). A fresh start on this subject may be underway, however, with the ongoing re-examination of the Utrecht ship (Van de Moortel, 2000a;2000b).…”

Recording and Analysis of Ship Graffiti in St Thomas’ Church and Blackfriars Barn Undercroft in Winchelsea, East Sussex, UK

“…The late medieval hulc tradition is problematic. No examples have been found in the archaeological record and the tradition's existence is attested only by documentary and iconographic data, supported by ethnographic analogies (Greenhill, ). Adams (: 99–110) has convincingly argued that the late medieval hulc as a building tradition separate from the Nordic tradition is most likely a myth.…”

Windward Sailing Capabilities of Ancient Vessels

“…The performance of the cog has been discussed by Hutchinson (1994: 59–64) and in more recent papers (for example Weski, 1999; Greenhill, 2000). These authors have little that is positive to say about the potential windward sailing performance of the cog type, and this conclusion is used by Greenhill (2000: 17) to suggest that the cog was superseded by the hulc that ‘could have handled better than the cog’. While there is indeed little reason to expect that the cog type was a good performer to windward, a conclusion supported by the trials of the reconstruction, there is in fact reason to believe that it may have been good by the standards of its time.…”

“…The potential for windward sailing performance receives considerable attention in the discussion of ancient ships and seafaring (for example Gillmer, 1979; Hutchinson, 1994; Tilley, 1994; Casson, 1995: 273, 464; Greenhill, 1995; Roberts, 1995; Gifford and Gifford, 1996; Gifford, 1997; Wachsmann, 1998: 253; Weski, 1999; Greenhill, 2000; Whitewright, 2007). These authors all consider the effects of factors such as hull shape, rig‐geometry, mast‐position and the number of masts in order to explain how ancient boats were sailed, and what, if any, progress they could make to windward.…”